Bobby Anson Pease allegedly made a lot of bad choices early Friday.
Pierce County prosecutors say he refused to stop for sheriff’s deputies who wanted to give him a traffic ticket, drove 100 miles per hour on Tacoma streets, even slowed to taunt cops who were pursuing him with lights flashing and sirens blaring.
But the thing Pease might live to regret most is allegedly driving straight at two deputies as they sat in their patrol car.
For that, prosecutors charged him Monday with two counts of first-degree assault, a strike offense under Washington’s “three strikes you’re out” law. They also charged him with a single count of trying to elude police.
Pease, 44, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Superior Court. Court Commissioner Meagan Foley ordered him jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Prosecutors believe Pease was behind the wheel of a sedan deputies tried to stop about 2 a.m. after watching the car make an illegal lane change in the 9600 block of Tacoma Avenue South.
Instead of pulling over, the driver sped off, and a “pursuit commenced complete with police lights and sirens,” charging papers state.
Deputies twice called off the chase when speeds reached dangerous levels – prosecutors said Pease hit 100 mph before he crashed into a fourplex on South 38th Street — but picked it up again after spotting Pease driving more slowly in another part of town, court records show.
At one point, deputies riding in the same patrol car spotted the sedan in the 6400 block of South F Street. The sedan’s driver made eye contact with them before driving his car straight at them at high speed, the records show. The deputy driving the patrol car took evasive action to avoid a collision, prosecutors said.
Shortly thereafter, Pease allegedly drove down Portland Avenue at 85 mph but slowed “and appeared to wait for deputies to catch up,” the records show.
“Pease motioned with his hand as if indicating, ‘come on,’” prosecutors wrote. “Pease accelerated away again. Speeds reached 90 mph as Pease weaved in and out of traffic on 38th Street headed toward I-5.”
Not long after that, he lost control and crashed into the fourplex. No one inside was hurt.
Deputies arrested Pease, who suffered a head injury, and took him to a local hospital for treatment. He later was booked into jail.
Prosecutors said Pease has an extensive criminal record, including convictions for escape and attempting to elude police.
Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/crime
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