Captain Jason Berry
Government and Media Relations
(360) 596-4010 – office
(360) 596-4015 – fax
http://www.wsp.wa.gov
*** For Immediate Release***
Date:
May 8, 2012
Contact:
Trooper Guy Gill
Phone:
(253) 606-1998
E-mail:
Guy.Gill@wsp.wa.gov
Twitter:
@wspd1pio
Domestic Violence Incident Ends With Arrest, Firearm Recovered
Late Sunday evening, a 37-year-old female was assaulted by her boyfriend while they were parked just off of I-5 at the WSP scale house near Dupont. Troopers were dispatched after the victim called 911 and reported the male suspect was walking northbound I-5 armed with a gun, and that he had just assaulted her.
Troopers investigating the incident found that the suspect and victim had been driving northbound I-5 and took the Mounts Road exit. The victim was awakened by the suspect yelling at her, accusing her of cheating on him. The situation escalated from a verbal altercation and became physical when the suspect began striking the female victim on the head and body. The suspect starting driving again northbound on I-5 and then exited to the Washington State Patrol scale house at milepost 118.
The suspect exited the vehicle and began to walk away. The victim, now driving the vehicle, called 911 and began following the suspect as he was walking. While the victim was on the phone with police, the suspect turned around, ran back to the vehicle, and began kicking it, breaking the passenger side mirror off and denting the body of the vehicle. The suspect then lunged back inside the vehicle, taking the victim’s cell phone, a backpack, and a .40 caliber handgun out of the center console.
The suspect then ran off northbound from the WSP scale house. A perimeter was established, and using a K-9, troopers located the suspect hiding near the Center Street overpass in Dupont. The suspect had the backpack with him and told troopers he threw the gun into the woods near the scale house. Troopers located the gun in the bushes near the scale house the following day.
The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Justin M. Wasson. Wasson was booked into the Pierce County Jail for assault 4th degree, Malicious Mischief 2nd degree, Violation of a protection order, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Harassment 1st degree.
