This morning, deputies arrested a 28-year-old man who shot at a patrol sergeant during a traffic stop in Graham overnight.
Last night, at 10:44 p.m., a patrol sergeant was driving northbound in the 19600 block of Meridian when he passed a van travelling southbound at a high rate of speed. The sergeant turned around and saw the van drive through the red light at 204th St E. He caught up to the van, which turned west onto 224th St E. The sergeant activated his lights to initiate a traffic stop and the van pulled into a driveway in the 9700 block of 224th St E. The van then turned around and drove back towards the sergeant. As he approached the patrol car (with his driver door next to the sergeant’s driver door), the driver of the van pointed a handgun at the sergeant and fired, with his window still rolled up. The deputy was not struck by the gunfire.
The van sped away eastbound on 224th St E and the sergeant chased after it. The van went off the road- in the 15400 block of 204th St E (Jansky Rd E). It was upside down and 50 feet down a steep ravine.
Due to the level of danger to our deputies, a drone operator attempted to get a better view of the inside of the van, but the trees and brush were too thick. Eventually, a team of deputies from SWAT and Search & Rescue walked down to the vehicle and discovered it was unoccupied. Inside the vehicle, they found a ghost gun and a spent shell casing.
This morning, deputies learned that the suspect was at a residence in the Orting Valley. They surrounded a trailer on the property and began making announcements, ordering the suspect to come out of the trailer. K9 Ammo also responded and began making announcements of his own. Hearing this, the suspect exited the trailer and surrendered. He was arrested and will receive medical treatment for the collision. He will then be booked into jail for assault in the first degree and eluding. The prosecutor’s office will determine formal charges, which could be upgraded to attempted murder if deemed appropriate under the law.
We’ve mentioned “ghost guns” in many recent posts. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, here is a news story to help you understand what we’re referring to.
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