Driver evaded cops in Puyallup, then rammed patrol car head on, police say
A man suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs fled from Puyallup police Friday night until officers lost sight of him, then crashed into an occupied patrol car.
Police alleged that the man intentionally rammed the patrol car after traveling the wrong way on a bypass.
The Puyallup Police Department said a K-9 officer and his dog were able to get out of their vehicle, which caught fire after the collision. Other responding officers put the flames out with fire extinguishers. Police said the officer and his partner are OK.
The driver, a 40-year-old man, was booked into Pierce County Jail early Saturday on suspicion of first-degree assault, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, driving while intoxicated, knowingly possessing a controlled substance and felony eluding, jail records show.
Police said the incident began when an officer tried to stop the driver while he was going the wrong way on a one-way street downtown. He fled the traffic stop. Another officer found him downtown, and a pursuit ensued that led to the area of River Road and North Meridian, where officers eventually lost sight of the vehicle.
“The vehicle had traveled the wrong way on the bypass where the driver intentionally rammed head-on a Puyallup Police K9 officer and his partner who were responding to the area of the pursuit,” the Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Police said no officers were in pursuit of the driver at the time of the collision. The bypass was closed for several hours while a collision response team investigated.
Officers saw firearms, ammunition and what they suspected to be drugs inside the driver’s vehicle, which police said they seized after obtaining a search warrant.
“We are thankful our officer is OK as is his K9 partner,” the Police Department said. “Our officers are brave and courageous every day in trying to protect the public from harm and we are thankful for their service.”
