Three lanes of Interstate 5 close while police chase a truck driven by a man who’d been acting strangely and not following Tacoma officers’ commands. A traffic stop that started Wednesday in downtown Tacoma with a report of a man acting strangely led to a police chase that closed three lanes of southbound Interstate 5.

When it was over, one man had been arrested near the Fort Lewis main gate, Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said. There were no reports of injuries.

A resident flagged down a police officer about 8:15 a.m. to report that a man in a truck was acting strangely, Fulghum said.

The officer pulled behind the man, who was at South Ninth and A streets near the onramp to Interstate 705. He repeatedly didn’t drive ahead when the light turned green.

The resident was concerned, Fulghum said.

The officer tried to talk with the man, who appeared fidgety and didn’t comply with the officer’s commands. The officer drew his gun and took cover behind his patrol car door, Fulghum said.

Two Washington State Patrol troopers on their way to court saw the officer with his gun drawn and stopped to help, Fulghum said.

Other officers were called to the scene.

“The guy sat in the truck refusing to follow commands,” Fulghum said. “We tried talking. We had him surrounded.”

The truck started to roll forward, then took off.

“He puts the pedal to the metal and takes off down the freeway onramp,” Fulghum said. “It was just all of a sudden, from stop to as fast as he could go.”

Officers chased the truck on I-705 to southbound I-5. Troopers joined in the chase.

The man threw items from the truck as he drove, Fulghum said.

At one point, the three left lanes of southbound I-5 were closed because of the pursuit, the state Department of Transportation reported.

Officers laid down spike strips to try to stop the fleeing truck. A trooper forced the truck to spin out near the main gate of Fort Lewis about 9 a.m., Fulghum said.

The 48-year-old driver was taken into custody and then booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of felony eluding and two outstanding warrants.

The Fort Lewis main gate and all lanes of I-5 were open to traffic by 9:15 a.m.

Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268

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