Road rage incident led knife-wielding driver to punch pizza delivery guy in the face
Editor’s note: This blotter is compiled from recent Gig Harbor police reports.
Pizza delivery turned into road rage
Gig Harbor police met with a pizza delivery man whose trip went wrong on July 2.
While in the middle of a delivery for Papa Johns, the driver made a right turn onto Wollochet Drive from Hunt Street.
A GMC truck “tried to cut the corner and pass him even though he was turning, and the truck nearly struck the rear corner of his car,” the police report said.
The truck did not have room to pass the driver.
The man in the truck started “road raging and yelling,” the delivery driver said.
The truck eventually passed the pizza delivery man at the nearby Shell Station.
While the truck driver was in front of the delivery man, he slammed on his brakes and then jumped out of the truck, according to the report.
The truck driver pulled out a knife.
“When he was manipulating to open it, he hit his own right leg and dropped the knife,” the report said.
While the delivery driver was trying to put his car in reverse, the truck driver tried to punch him through the window, which was down about 8 inches, according to the report.
He was able to block some of the punches, but the truck driver ended up striking the pizza man in the face and said he was going to kill him, the delivery driver told the officer.
The truck driver also kicked and caved in the driver side door before picking up the knife and getting back in his truck.
The delivery man told the officer he “was getting ready to run the man over as he was in fear for his safety and he believes the man realized this and then got in his truck,” the report said.
By the time the officer arrived on the scene the delivery man’s left cheek was swollen and staring to discolor where he was struck, according to the report.
The report did not say whether the pizza was delivered.
Police found guns, ammo and drugs
While working uniformed patrol on July 15, a Gig Harbor police officer saw a black BMW with fraudulent temporary plates in the parking lot of Fred Meyer at 5502 Point Fosdick Dr.
“The driver was partially leaning out the door as I placed my car in reverse and parked,” the officer wrote.
As the officer walked up to the vehicle, he knocked on the window.
The male driver and female passenger saw the officer and began shuffling around the car, according to the report.
The officer told the driver to lower the window. The woman said they were “trying to figure it out,” the report said.
They continued to shuffle through the car. The driver partially lowered the window.
There were visible burnt foil pieces in the car, the officer wrote.
The officer continued to tell them to stop shuffling around, that they were being detained and needed to unlock the doors.
The driver started reaching toward his waistband. The officer ordered him to keep his hands in sight.
The officer asked if there were any weapons in the car. The driver and passenger both answered no, according to the report.
The driver again dropped his hands to his waist. The officer notified dispatch to expedite backup.
The female passenger also was reaching for something from the driver’s waist. She said she was reaching for his seat belt.
The driver was not wearing a seat belt, according to the officer.
The driver reached toward his waist, again.
As backup was arriving, the officer was able to open the door and detain the driver.
The officer removed a visible knife from the driver and a loaded gun from under his shirt.
“I recovered a second loaded magazine from his left front pocket containing 9 rounds of .380,” the officer wrote.
The gun was reported stolen out of Portland, Oregon.
The driver also had narcotics in his sock.
Officers booked the driver on suspicion of unlawful gun possession, possessing a stolen gun, and a trip permit violation.
“After obtaining a warrant, Officer Erwin was able to recover several additional firearms, including at least one stolen gun, some ‘Ghost Guns,’ which lacked required serial numbers, and over 700 rounds of ammunition,” the Gig Harbor Police Department posted on Facebook along with a photo. “He also recovered some drugs that were packaged for distribution and some paperwork supporting the drug trafficking being conducted by the driver.”
