He said he didn’t know the people who shot up his car during a Pierce County chase, or why, charges say
A man told police he did not know the people accused of shooting up his vehicle during a chase last week in Pierce County or why they would have shot at him, according to charging papers.
The 32-year-old suspect driver and his 25-year-old passenger each pleaded not guilty at arraignment Friday to two counts of first-degree assault.
Charging papers gave this account of what happened:
The victim driver called 911 Thursday to say he was being chased in a road-rage incident by someone in a white sports car near South 72nd Street and Pacific Avenue. At some point he shouted to a dispatcher: “They are shooting at us now.”
Officers found the cars heading east on 56th Street. An officer pulled over the suspect vehicle.
The woman in the passenger seat was arrested without incident. The driver struggled with officers as they took him into custody.
At one point he yelled: “Just( expletive) shoot me.” At another point he hit the hood of the patrol car with his hands. An officer used a stun gun on him after he disobeyed orders and reached for his pockets.
Later he said the victims were family and that they’d been in a dispute. Then he said the incident was over drugs, including a pound of methamphetamine, the declaration for determination of probable cause says.
There were .22 caliber casings and rounds in the front passenger seat and floor area of the suspect vehicle, but officers did not find a .22 weapon. There was a BB gun in the vehicle.
The suspect told police he spent several years in prison for trafficking stolen guns and possessing guns as a felon. That was in connection to the burglary of 41 guns from Sportco in Fife.
The victim driver and passenger told police they weren’t hurt.
There were two bullet holes in the driver’s door, the driver’s window was broken, and there was a bullet hole in the back license plate.
The victim driver said they were at 100th Street Southwest and South Tacoma Way in Lakewood when the suspect vehicle tried to block them in.
A second vehicle was with the suspect vehicle, he said.
Then the victim driver tried to reverse, and someone in the suspect vehicle started shooting at them.
He ended up at 96th Street and Pacific Avenue, then called police. The suspect vehicle followed, and started shooting at them again near South 43rd Street and South D Street.
He said he didn’t know the suspects or why they shot at him.
