On Monday evening, police apprehended a 44-year-old man near the fairgrounds in Puyallup after a bystander, armed with a gun, intervened during an incident where the man was allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.
The woman suffered injuries as a result of the attack, and the situation escalated into a vehicular chase that concluded with law enforcement employing a pursuit intervention tactic to halt the suspect’s flight, according to the Puyallup Police Department’s official news release. The individual was subsequently booked into Pierce County Jail, facing multiple charges laid out by the Pierce County prosecutors on Tuesday, including fourth-degree assault and attempting to elude police.
Officers were dispatched around 6:38 PM after receiving reports about a confrontation involving a firearm at East Pioneer and South Meridian. Upon arrival, they learned that a man with a gun had stepped in to halt a domestic violence situation.
When confronted by the armed individual, the assailant ceased the attack on his girlfriend and fled the scene, as detailed in the police report. A witness described the scene, stating, “I was driving down Pioneer when I saw a man in all black hitting a woman. Then, another guy in a tan baseball jersey pulled out a gun and told him to back off.”
The witness continued, “Myself and two others were trying to prevent the guy in black from leaving. He charged at us, and the guy in the jersey aimed the gun again to keep us safe.”
Upon their arrival, officers discovered the woman had sustained injuries to her head and called for medical assistance. Meanwhile, the suspect was seen attempting to escape in a gray Dodge Caliber, refusing to pull over for the police.
Reports indicate that the suspect’s driving was both reckless and slow. Officers attempted the pursuit intervention maneuver several times but the suspect consistently managed to escape before making a reckless turn.
During the pursuit, the suspect makes a bold attempt to drive through the “A lot” area of the Washington State Fair. A sergeant tried to block the exit with his patrol vehicle, but the suspect rammed the police car to evade capture.
The chase led officers south on Meridian, culminating in a successful PIT maneuver near the Washington State Fairgrounds, where the suspect was finally arrested.
Upon searching the suspect’s car, police found an empty liquor bottle, a full one, and a knife. A voluntary breath test yielded a reading of 0.272, significantly above the legal blood-alcohol level of 0.08 for drivers.
