Twenty-first birthday ends in gunpoint arrest | Bonney Lake Police Blotter

All suspects in the police blotter are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

All suspects in the police blotter are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

RECKLESS DRIVING: At about 5:40 a.m. May 7, a plainclothes officer traveling westbound on state Route 410 observed a cab truck traveling at speeds greater than 80 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone, and swerve into another lane. The officer caught up with the vehicle while it was stopped behind other vehicles at the 214th Avenue East intersection. Thought it was now traveling at the speed limit with the flow of traffic, it began tailgating the car ahead of it and weaving through traffic. As the light turned green at the 198th Avenue traffic signal, the truck took off at a high rate of acceleration and the officer took pursuit. The police vehicle accelerated to match pace with the truck, reaching 70 miles per hour before a traffic stop could be initiated. The plainclothes officer shouted at the driver to stay put while he called a fully uniformed officer to the scene. The arriving officer contacted the driver, for whom a records check showed a prior infraction for negligent driving in 2012. The driver agreed he had been speeding and weaving through traffic. Given the plainclothes officer’s description of the driver’s behavior, and the prior citation, the uniformed officer determined a citation charging the man with reckless driving would be appropriate to the situation. The driver was given his citation and court date, and was released at the scene.

DUI: At 6:18 p.m. May 7, an officer responded to the 8100 block of 204th Avenue Court East in reference to a suspected DUI. A caller had reported a red truck swerving as it traveled south on West Tapps Highway. The truck had crossed into oncoming traffic several times, forcing other cars to the shoulder, and at one point drove onto a sidewalk nearly hitting a woman walking her dog. The truck came to a stop in the middle of a cul-de-sac street and parked with the engine running. The officer contacted the driver, who was slumped forward with his head resting on the steering wheel. After the driver roused, the officer asked him if he had been drinking. He replied he had come from the Log Cabin Tavern, where he said he had a couple of beers. He smelled strongly of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot, and his speech was slurred. He declined to participate in voluntary field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest for DUI processing. A blood alcohol breath screening returned BAC readings of .284 and .281, more than three times the legal limit. The driver was cited for DUI and released to his sister.

OVERDOSE: At 8:40 p.m. May 7, two officers were called to 191st Avenue East to assist East Pierce Fire and Rescue at the site of an opiate overdose. Medics were performing CPR on the woman, who was breathing shallowly. During a search of the home, officers located paraphernalia associated with heroin, but no drugs. An officer contacted the woman’s son, who said he had left the home to walk his dog and returned to find his mother in the bathroom, with her eyes open but unresponsive. He called 911. He told the officer he had known his mother to use heroin in the past, but did not know the last time she had indulged. He said she currently took Percocet for back pain. An officer noted in the police report that it is common for people to smoke Percocet pills to achieve a faster high. During the interview, medics were able to rouse the woman with medication. She was then transported to Good Samaritan Hospital for further care. Police reported that the incident appeared consistent with an accidental drug overdose, and cleared the scene.

COUNTERFEIT BILL: At 4:21 p.m. May 8, an officer was called to the Bonney Lake Walmart in reference to a counterfeit bill. An employee reported that, while she was counting the money in the pharmacy cash register, she discovered a bill that felt and looked different from the other tender. On further examination under light, it lacked a water mark or security strip. The officer confirmed the lack of security measures on the bill. A photograph of the counterfeit money, and the money itself, was placed into evidence.

VANDALISM: At 10:50 a.m. May 10, an officer was dispatched to Angeline Road for a report of damage to a motor home. The vehicle owner stated he had been parked at the address, with the consent of the property owner, since September. The property owner called in February to ask that the motor home be removed, because damage had been done to the vehicle. The vehicle owner stated the property owner’s daughter had caused the damage, gaining entry from the rear bedroom window and writing on the interior in permanent marker and breaking cabinets. Most of the writing consisted of slurs directed at the vehicle owner’s daughter. The vehicle owner stated both of the females used to use drugs together, but his own daughter had been clean for nine months and no longer wanted to spend time with the other. He stated he wanted a report taken for insurance purposes. The officer took photographs of the damage and submitted them into evidence.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY: At 5:33 a.m. May 11, two officers were dispatched to 71st Street East, where a resident reported a man had just attempted to break into his home and his car. The suspect was described as a man in his mid-20’s, wearing a black t-shirt and baseball cap; he had appeared intoxicated. The resident said he had heard the man attempting to open his front door and, when he went outside to confront him, he was attempting to enter his car. En route to the home, an officer came across a man  walking in the roadway who appeared intoxicated and matched the suspect description. The officer ordered the man to his stomach at gunpoint. He had abrasions on his arms but, when asked about them, did not have an answer for how they had been sustained. He told the arresting officer he did not know why he was in custody; he was out celebrating his 21st birthday and next thing he knew he was being arrested, he said. The resident who had called police said he was 100 percent sure the man in custody was the man he confronted. Medics were called to the scene to evaluate the suspect’s abrasions, and they determined they were superficial marks not in need of further medical attention. The suspect was cited for attempted vehicle prowl and released to his parents.

FUEL TANK TAMPERING: At 10:20 a.m. May 13, an officer contacted a man at the Albertson’s Express fueling station regarding a theft complaint. The man reported someone had drilled into his truck’s gas tank and siphoned 30 gallons of fuel. The man reported his vehicle was parked at a 192nd Avenue East address from May 11 to May 13. When he retrieved the truck on the 13th, he noticed the gas cap off, an apparent odor of fuel, and an empty tank reading on his dash. The tank had been full the last time the driver had used it. When he drove to the gas station to refill, he noticed fuel spilling from below the vehicle. The officer took a photo of the hole and submitted it into evidence.

THEFTS FROM BOATS: At 6:23 p.m. May 14, an officer was dispatched to a theft complaint at a West Tapps Highway East residence. The resident advised he had discovered his boat’s cover and mounted ski tower had been stolen. The officer noted a significant amount of grime had been left at all four points where the ski tower had been mounted. The value of the items was in excess of $1,000. At 8:03 p.m. May 14, an officer was dispatched to a North Vista Drive East residence in reference to a theft from a boat parked in a driveway. The resident reported he had been mowing his lawn when he noticed both propellors were missing from the craft. Further inspection revealed that two IMCO steering rams had also been removed. The resident said he knew the missing parts had been in the boat when he covered it two days prior. The officer took photographs of the boat and submitted them into evidence.