Suspect fleeing from Lakewood police crashes at resident’s home, killing man
Update, 4:17 p.m. July 7: Lakewood police said Thursday afternoon that the victim in this incident died of his injuries, despite surgical efforts to save his life.
Original story: A man fleeing from police Wednesday night in Lakewood crashed his SUV in the driveway of a house, severely injuring a 43-year-old man, according to the Lakewood Police Department.
Lakewood police said the resident fired a shotgun at the suspect’s vehicle as it sped toward them, and the SUV collided with a parked car, pushing it into the resident and pinning them between the car and their house.
Officers rendered medical aid to the resident and detained the 38-year-old suspect, according to a news release from Lakewood police. The crash caused major damage to the house and the car in the driveway, and emergency responders from West Pierce Fire & Rescue had to free the man from the wreckage.
The victim was transported to a local hospital.
The suspect’s injuries were minor, and he was also taken to a hospital. According to the news release, he will be booked into Pierce County Jail for investigation of multiple felony charges once he is released from the hospital.
The crash occurred in a neighborhood near state Route 512 and South Tacoma Way after Lakewood police began following a vehicle tied to a road rage incident with a firearm that the Milton Police Department had been investigating.
A police K-9 unit located the vehicle, a black SUV, around 9:30 p.m. near Lakewood, police said. The officer was following the vehicle while waiting for backup when the SUV fled into the residential neighborhood.
A short time later, the suspect stopped his SUV and reversed “at a high rate of speed,” ramming the Lakewood officer’s vehicle twice. Police said the officer backed up to avoid being hit again and hit an unoccupied parked car.
Police said that’s when a resident in the neighborhood heard the commotion and came out of their home armed with a shotgun. The suspect sped away from the police vehicle he’d rammed and drove toward the resident, who fired the shotgun. Police said the shot may have struck the vehicle’s grill.
After the crash, police saw that there was a firearm in the suspect vehicle’s passenger compartment, according to the release. Police said the SUV was impounded for a search warrant.
This story was originally published July 7, 2022 at 9:14 AM.
