Last Thursday, Jan. 5, deputies with our Special Investigations Unit teamed up with Department of Corrections officers to arrest a violent felony offender who had an outstanding warrant for escape from community custody.
Deputies spotted the suspect outside a residence in the 5900 block of Portland Ave E in Tacoma and moved in to arrest him. As they approached, the suspect ran. One of the deputies grabbed the puffy jacket that the suspect was wearing, but the suspect was able to wiggle out of the jacket. After a struggle, the suspect was taken into custody.
One of the deputies picked up the suspect’s jacket and noticed it was unusually heavy. In one of the pockets, the deputy found a loaded pistol with a round in the chamber. The suspect denied that the jacket was his; however, deputies located his social security card and debit card in the jacket. They also found $400 cash and 4.7 grams of meth. The suspect told the deputies he was going to get a life sentence if he was caught with the gun, and he asked them several times to get rid of it.
The 38-year-old suspect was booked into jail for his DOC warrant and for the gun.
Prosecutors reviewed the deputies’ reports and body-worn cameras and subsequently charged the suspect with unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree and obstructing an officer.
The suspect has 20 felony convictions, including: possession of stolen property, theft, eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of a firearm, and residential burglary. He also has 9 gross misdemeanor convictions and has had 15 cases where bench warrants were issued.
At arraignment, he pleaded not guilty, and the court commissioner (judge) set his bail at $5,000.
At the scene, the suspect’s girlfriend told him she would post his bail once it was set.