An unnamed suspect escaped arrest Wednesday, Oct. 8, as he fled north on Interstate 5 — despite pursuit from Chehalis Tribal Police and Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders.
According to Sanders, who posted about the incident on Facebook, tribal police first saw the man slam a woman to the ground near the Lucky Eagle Casino moments before he entered his car and fled a traffic stop. The woman was thought to be inside the vehicle at the time.
The man initially escaped pursuit, until sheriff’s deputies picked him up along I-5.
They, too, lost his vehicle in dense traffic.
Then the suspect drove by Sanders.
“I happened to be driving north to Tacoma for a forum with the first responder wellness task force when the suspect vehicle blew past me,” Sanders wrote on Facebook. “I pursued the vehicle north on I5 at speeds up to 145mph. I asked for air support, however there was nothing available in Western Washington.”
Sanders said he decided to end the pursuit near exit 128 because he believed the victim was still in the car.
“While I’m still fearful for the victim’s safety, the decision to continue pursuing must be continuously evaluated and I did not want to see her harmed in a high speed crash, which was likely the only way the suspect was going to stop,” Sanders wrote.
Though the suspect was not named, Sanders indicated he was a “prominent career criminal convicted felon” with active arrest warrants who was driving on a first-degree revoked license.
The suspect remains on the loose, according to Sanders. The victim’s status is unknown.
Chehalis Tribal Police are still investigating.
