A Washington man whom authorities described as a "high-priority offender" was arrested earlier this month after trying to escape from deputies who were investigating an armed carjacking, authorities said Tuesday.
The incident began just before noon on May 14 after investigators located a pickup truck that was reported stolen in at gunpoint 12 days earlier, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said.
The truck was found near Parkland at a "nuisance property" where several drive-by shootings had previously taken place and where numerous stolen vehicles were recovered, according to officials.
Deputies located the 33-year-old suspect and followed him to another residence, where he rammed two patrol cars before jumping on top of one patrol car and hopping from car to car to avoid capture, the sheriff’s department said.
The suspect then led deputies on a foot chase down the street and into the backyard of a nearby home.
"As the foot pursuit continued down the street, the [Special Investigations Unit] sergeant (a former college track star) blew by everyone and caught up to the suspect as he was jumping over a fence," the statement said. "A patrol deputy tased the suspect and he was taken into custody."
Deputies found a gun inside the stolen truck.
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The suspect, who was not publicly identified, was booked into jail on numerous charges, which included unlawful possession of a firearm, second-degree robbery and obstructing. His bail was set at $75,000.
The suspect was classified as a "high priority offender" because of his long criminal history, officials said.
In 2009, convicted of first-degree robbery with a deadly weapon. While serving his sentence, he was convicted of perjury for lying during the trial. His sentence totaled to more than 16 years in prison.
Since 2022, he has also been separately charged with second-degree robbery, forgery and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
