Watch Suspect Chug Vodka after Wash. Deputies End High-Speed Chase
A high-speed stolen vehicle chase over the weekend involving a Grappler deployment and PIT maneuvers ended in bizarre fashion when the suspect took a swig of vodka and surrendered after he was stopped.
The incident happened Saturday when a Thurston County sheriff's deputy observed a stolen SUV running through a traffic signal in Tumwater, the sheriff stated in a social media post. The driver initially stopped for the deputy before taking off and kicking off a high-speed pursuit.
Sheriff's office dashboard video captured footage of the pursuit.
The chase reached speeds of 100 mph, and deputies tried to use a PIT maneuver, but it was unsuccessful. A grappler was then deployed, but the suspect's swerving damaged the device, and the driver was able to continue fleeing.
Another PIT maneuver was performed on the stolen vehicle, disabling the SUV. Once the vehicle stopped, the suspect behaved in a surprising fashion.
"As the (suspect) exited the vehicle, he opened a bottle of vodka and began chugging it while ignoring commands," Sheriff Derek Sanders stated in the online update. "He then threw the bottle into the ditch."
Deputies ordered the driver on the ground and placed him under arrest with the help of a K-9. A passenger in the SUV told deputies that "the driver was actively drinking alcohol during the car chase," stated Sanders.
The suspect was charged with DUI, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and driving on a suspended license, KIRO reports. According to Sanders, deputies had encountered the driver before.
"This same suspect is well known to TCSO, as he led us on a high speed chase in October after recently being released from prison," he stated. "In that incident, the suspect was arrested for DUI, attempting to elude, and driving on a suspended license."
In his social media post, Sanders pushed for stricter sentences that keep repeat offenders behind bars.
"If the state has any interest in curbing high speed chases, abysmal auto theft rates, and record high traffic fatalities, we may want to consider moving away from our current practice that enables these individuals to continuously reoffend until they eventually kill someone," he stated.
"Unfortunately, most of the conversations occurring in the legislature right now are centered around lowering sentencing penalties and encouraging criminals to engage in dangerous behavior that put us all at risk of serious bodily harm and death."
