A 47-year-old man driving a suspected stolen car while drunk unknowingly dialed 911 late Tuesday while his cellphone was in his pocket, prompting a brief pursuit in Tacoma, authorities said.
Dispatchers received the first 911 call about 11:30 p.m. and could hear a woman screaming and a man telling her to stop. After hearing sounds of a struggle inside a vehicle, Tacoma police said they tracked the phone to the 4300 block of South D Street, where officers saw a car run a red light.
Officers tried to pull over the vehicle. The driver stopped briefly, and a woman got out of the car and ran. The man drove on, refusing to pull over for police.
He eventually stopped in the 5000 block of Pacific Avenue and ran off, police said. A police dog was unable to find the man. The vehicle was registered in Vancouver, Wash., and allegedly contained several shaved keys, leading police to believe it had been stolen.
About 7 a.m., the same cellphone again called 911 and police traced the call to the 4800 block of South Wilkeson Street, where an intoxicated couple was found sitting inside a different vehicle. The man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and violating a no-contact order. The woman was arrested on outstanding warrants.
Police said the man was drunk and didn’t realize that his cellphone had twice dialed 911.
stacia.glenn@thenewstribune.com253-597-8653
blog.thenewstribune.com/crime
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.