It took 6 Pierce deputies to restrain man who fired gun at police during high-speed chase

A 29-year-old man who led police on a high-speed chase for 30 miles while holding a gun out of the car window was likely on drugs, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

The Eatonville man remains hospitalized but will be booked into jail when he is released.

A deputy first spotted the man Wednesday afternoon when his Mazda crossed the center divide on Marine View Drive.

After seeing the Mazda pass another vehicle by driving into oncoming traffic, the deputy turned on his lights and sirens and started following the car.

The man attempted to do a U-turn in front of the deputy so the deputy blocked his path, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.

Although the Mazda had tinted windows, the deputy was allegedly able to see the driver moving around and what appeared to be a handgun.

The man pointed the gun at the deputy through the window and sped away into oncoming traffic going about 70 mph, Troyer said.

A Tacoma police officer spotted the Mazda near the Port of Tacoma and followed him through the Tideflats and onto Interstate 5.

Officers reported shots fired as they followed the Mazda.

The chase continued into Parkland, through Spanaway and ended on Mountain Highway East at 360th Street South about 6:30 p.m.

The man had to be shocked with a Taser, broke one set of leg shackles and required six deputies to restrain him, Troyer said.

Jordan Kane of Tacoma was driving east on state Route 512 when he saw patrol cars passing, so he turned on the police scanner app on his phone. He said multiple police cars sped by him.

“I felt like I was in a video game,” Kane said. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

This story was originally published August 9, 2018 at 2:22 PM with the headline "It took 6 Pierce deputies to restrain man who fired gun at police during high-speed chase."