2 days after a police standoff and high-speed chase on I-5, suspect finds himself in jail
A man accused of leading police on a high speed chase, crashing into a semi and getting into a standoff with police that shut down Interstate 5 for hours was booked Thursday into Pierce County Jail.
The 33-year-old is expected to be charged with attempted felony eluding, reckless driving and escaping community custody.
Pierce County prosecutors are reviewing the case and could make a charging decision by Friday.
The incident started Tuesday afternoon when he passed a police car in the southbound lanes of I-5 traveling about 100 mph.
After police initiated a chase, the man crashed his SUV into a tractor-trailer near Gravelly Lake Drive Southwest about 4 p.m. The semi broke through a barrier and went into the northbound lanes.
The truck driver was not injured.
A standoff followed after the man threatened to take his own life with a knife inside his wrecked vehicle.
He eventually surrendered and was taken to a hospital for observation.
Detectives have not been able to figure out why the man was driving recklessly on I-5.
He had a state Department of Corrections escape warrant, a misdemeanor assault warrant and a felony warrant from Ellensburg when he was taken into custody.
Prior court records indicate the 33-year-old has a history of methamphetamine addiction, car theft and other crimes.
He has several convictions dating back to 1998 when he was 12, records show.
Many are for car theft; others include third-degree assault and felony harassment.
A forensic mental health evaluation conducted as part of a 2015 conviction in King County described “a history of theatricality when distressed,” possibly linked to drug-seeking behavior in confinement.
The evaluation analyzed the man’s competence to stand trial and concluded that he “was feigning psychotic and cognitive impairments” that appeared “contrived and seemed to be related to an attempt to avoid answering court-related questions.”
