A 38-year-old man allegedly led Seattle police on a chase through North Seattle in a stolen car, rammed a patrol vehicle, pointed a loaded gun at an officer and then jumped into Lake Washington, where he treaded water for about 25 minutes before swimming to shore and being taken into custody.
The chain of events began Thursday when a 911 caller reported that his car had been stolen while he was unloading items into his business near Northgate, according to Seattle police. The Seattle Times reported on the chase and related events. The man had apparently climbed through the vehicle’s open tailgate to start it before driving off eastbound on Northeast 123rd Street. The caller and an officer were able to trace the car’s AirTag to the Matthews Beach neighborhood.
Per the Seattle Police Department, an officer found the suspect sitting in the stolen vehicle near the 10000 block of Riviera Place Northeast, and the man reversed the car into the officer’s patrol vehicle while the officer was still inside. The report notes that this wasn’t his only reckless move behind the wheel — he also backed the car into the yard of a nearby home and then into the side of another house after getting stuck.
Gun Pointed at Officer Before Suspect Fled on Foot
The situation escalated further when the man opened the driver’s side door and pointed a loaded gun at an officer, who took cover, the police department’s account states. The suspect then dropped the gun and ran through a nearby home’s carport, apparently trying to put distance between himself and the responding officers…