08/11/16 Chehalis, WA – 17 Year Old With 15 Year Old Refused To Stop For WSP Trooper – Bails From Car – Steals Chehalis Chief’s Patrol Car – Hits/Injures Trooper – Chase – Hits Two Cars – Dog Gets Him

August 11, 2016

kiro7.com

A teenager leading state troopers on a high speed pursuit stole a car belonging to the police chief of Chehalis, then continued driving on Interstate 5 trying to make his escape, according to Chehalis police.

Investigators say troopers chased a 17-year-old Lacey boy with a 15-year-old female passenger after the driver refused to pull over for troopers trying to stop him for speeding. Chehalis police said the teenager pulled off the freeway into a golf course parking lot and bailed out of the car, leaving the girl behind.

Chehalis police pulled into the lot to back up the troopers, including the city’s chief of police, who left his car running, not knowing the teenager was hiding nearby. A police spokeswoman says the teen hopped into the car and took off.

“As officers from different jurisdictions approached the vehicle, the suspect put the vehicle in reverse, striking a trooper with the open door, and fled at a high rate of speed,” said Chehalis police spokeswoman Linda Bailey.

The pursuit continued north on I-5 for several miles until the suspect pulled over after hitting two other cars during the pursuit. He jumped from the car and ran into some nearby woods. He was cornered by a police dog and surrendered without a fight.

“He was taken to the hospital for a dog bite and will be booked into juvenile detention for assault, felony hit and run and eluding,” Bailey said.

The trooper suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of being hit, according to police. His condition is not known. A civilian in one of the cars hit during the pursuit was taken to a hospital after complaining of back pain.