Suspect uses stolen vehicle to hit occupied tents in Seattle, flee police
By: Body cam video shows the arrest of a man who tried to get away in a stolen vehicle after he allegedly ran over occupied tents earlier this month, injuring two people.
The incident happened on May 5, just before 6 a.m. Officers saw the stolen vehicle near 6th Ave. S. and S. Snoqualmie St. in Seattle's SODO neighborhood.
In that car was a man asleep in the driver's seat.
Officers used terminator devices on the parked car. These devices essentially deflate tires and prevent a suspect from escaping.
The suspect woke up and tried to drive off. He made it a short distance, but three tires had already been flattened.
Body cam footage shows the suspect driving onto a grassy area to avoid police capture. He hit several occupied tents, injuring two people who were lying inside. Others jumped out of the way to not get hit.
The suspect drove off the grassy area and tried to escape, but didn't make it very far. Body cam footage shows him ditching the car and scaling a fence.
He then tried to hide in a dumpster and cover himself with drywall.
A K-9 led officers right to him.
The 30-year-old was arrested and booked into King County Jail for vehicular assault, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle.
During the investigation, a gun was recovered along the path the stolen vehicle traveled. The suspect is lawfully prohibited from having a firearm.
The two people who were hit were treated on-scene by the Seattle Fire Department for injuries.