Captain Jason Berry
Government and Media Relations
(360) 596-4010 – office
(360) 596-4015 – fax
http://www.wsp.wa.gov
*** For Immediate Release***
Date:
February 2, 2011
Contact:
Sgt. JJ Gundermann
Phone:
(360) 596-4014 or (360) 507-6041
E-mail:
john.gunderman@wsp.wa.gov
Trooper Fires Shots After Driver Makes Two Attempts to Run Her Down
- Trooper Uninjured, Subject in Custody -
Olympia – A Washington State Patrol motorcycle officer fired shots this afternoon at a driver who allegedly tried to run her down as he fled from other officers.
The veteran trooper is uninjured, and multiple agencies are investigating both the shooting and the auto theft which preceded the incident.
Initial indications are that the trooper became involved in the pursuit, which began in south King County, shortly after two p.m. As the pursuit went to the Fife area, the subject abandoned the original vehicle and jumped in another which was nearby.
At that point multiple witnesses report the suspect drove at the WSP trooper two separate times. After the first attempt, the trooper abandoned her bike and was on foot. The subject came at her a second time, at which point she fired shots to end the attack. The subject veered away and was eventually stopped by other troopers using a Pursuit Immobilization Technique (PIT). The driver continued to fight and had to be tased in order to be taken into custody.
The subject was slightly injured, but it is not currently clear whether those injuries were caused by the trooper’s shots or when the car hit a tree following the PIT maneuver.
The Washington State Patrol, Fife Police Department and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office are conducting concurrent investigations of the incident.