Man suspected of shooting woman, hitting pedestrian in Tacoma held on $2 million bail
A suspected drunken driver charged with shooting a stranger in Tacoma and crashing his pickup as he fled the scene, pinning a pedestrian between two vehicles, is being held on $2 million bail.
Jeffrey Poland, 47, of Port Orchard, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to attempted first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, vehicular assault with DUI and two counts of second-degree assault. A judge ordered an ignition interlock device be placed on any vehicles driven by Poland because the offense involved alcohol.
Police also suspect Poland was involved in two other incidents Saturday where he allegedly waved around a gun at a bar and a hookah lounge. Both cases remain under investigation and prosecutors said Poland might face additional charges.
A probable cause statement gives this account of Poland’s actions:
Around 1:35 a.m., surveillance video allegedly shows Poland pull up next to a 32-year-old woman’s Jeep at South 35th Street and Union Avenue and fire four shots. The woman was hit in the neck and torso by all four bullets. A man in her passenger seat was not injured.
It’s unknown why he shot at the Jeep.
The woman sought help from a nearby security guard and called 911. She was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Poland fled but crashed about a mile away near South 52nd Street and South Tacoma Way.
The victim in that case was a 24-year-old man who held open the passenger door of his vehicle for a woman, then walked around the back of his truck toward the driver’s side.
It was about then that Poland’s pickup swerved and struck a parked Chevy Impala, pushing the car into the victim’s truck and pinning him between the vehicles.
A witness ran to help the victim but Poland got out of his truck and allegedly pointed a gun at them.
The witness retreated to a nearby clubhouse, and the victim tried unsuccessfully to crawl away from Poland, who eventually got back into his truck.
When an officer arrived, Poland was “slightly dazed and obviously intoxicated,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
After hearing that Poland had pointed a gun at the victims, the officer held Poland at gunpoint until he threw the pistol out of the truck. Poland ignored other police commands and grabbed another handgun from inside the truck. He eventually threw that weapon at the officer’s feet and was taken into custody.
“The defendant’s actions post-collision prevented witnesses and the officer from providing immediate medical aid to the victim,” records say.
The victim was taken to a local hospital, where doctors amputated one leg and reattached the other.
It wasn’t long before detectives connected Poland to the shooting and identified him through surveillance video at the scene of the shooting.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 1:08 PM.
