Tacoma police arrest 2 men tied to illegal street racing, 1 suspected of organizing
Tacoma police arrested three men Thursday who they suspect have been involved in illegal street racing in Pierce and and King counties.
One of the men, a 20-year-old arrested at a residence in Tacoma, is suspected of organizing and promoting numerous street racing events, including shutting down intersections and taking over warehouse parking lots in the last month, according to a news release from Tacoma Police Department.
Street racing has been an ongoing nuisance for drivers and residents in Tacoma. Intersection shutdowns block traffic, often on weekends, while cars burn rubber and spin in circles, sometimes drifting dangerously close to spectators. Another man suspected of organizing street racing events was arrested in April.
Police spokesperson Wendy Haddow said officers have been conducting emphasis patrols for street racing events since January.
“Using intelligence, they respond to locations and disrupt potential events prior to street takeover,” Haddow said. “The objectives of those, when possible, is to identify drivers and participants engaged in illegal activity associated with street racing for ongoing investigation and prosecution.”
The other two men arrested by police, both 22, were suspected of taking part in intersection takeovers and drifting events multiple times.
Police said one of the 22-year-old men eluded officers from Tacoma and the Lakewood Police Department more than once while police were working to enforce reckless driving and related street-racing laws. When he was arrested Thursday, police said he was sitting on a handgun with an extended magazine that was fully loaded.
Jail records show he was booked into Pierce County Jail for investigation of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, four counts of reckless driving, two counts of eluding a pursuing police vehicle and driving with a suspended license.
He was expected to be arraigned in Pierce County Superior Court on Friday afternoon on his unlawful possession of a firearm charge. According to charging documents, he was seen at an intersection takeover on June 15 in the Tideflats. Police attempted to pull him over, but he allegedly fled at 110 mph and officers stopped their pursuit.
Officers later identified the man using Instagram posts of his black BMW. Prosecutors wrote in the charging document that the man is paralyzed from the waist down from a prior shooting incident and uses a wheelchair. His vehicle is outfitted with hand pedals that allow him to operate the car with his right hand.
The 20-year-old man suspected of organizing events was booked on suspicion of four counts of reckless driving and four counts of reckless endangerment, according to police. The other 22-year-old was booked on the same charges.
Tacoma City Council has taken some action on street racing, passing an ordinance at an April 19 meeting that prohibited spectators from attending street-racing events. The ordinance, which took effect May 1, says spectators could face a misdemeanor penalty of a $1,000 fine and/or a month in jail.
Since the ordinance went into effect, Tacoma police have not arrested anyone for spectating at events, according to Haddow. She said the ordinance is a good tool to have, but it isn’t always safe to single out and arrest spectators.
Haddow said officers have four objectives when they are on street-racing emphasis patrols. The first two are disrupting potential events and identifying drivers and participants engaged in illegal activity. The third objective is trying to stop them, and the fourth is doing high-visibility patrols to prevent and disrupt racing and illegal activity, as well as conducting enforcement when reasonable.
“Since [the ordinance] went into effect, when officers get there, they’re dispersing,” Haddow said. “We’ve been doing these emphasis so regularly that when we have officers to respond, they’re dispersing.”
