Dumb Tri-Cities Police Eluder Caught with Some Help from the Sky

A driver tried to run from police last Memorial Day Weekend in the Tri-Cities and I bet for a while he thought he was going to get away.

Memorial Day Weekend: Washington State Aviation Patrolled the Tri-Cities

It wasn't long ago that speeding drivers who fled from police were not chased for long and usually got away. Today things are different with recent changes in state law, especially when the Washington  State Patrol Aviation Division is in town. They are an eye in the sky with specialized tracking equipment that makes it basically impossible for anyone on the ground to get away. Last Memorial Day Weekend, one such driver learned that lesson the hard way.

WSP Aviation Followed the Suspect for 30 Minutes

After the suspect vehicle decided to flee after an attempted traffic stop, Troopers in the air were alerted. They watched the suspect from above as he drove down Court Street and into the parking lot of a gas station in order to bypass the light. The driver makes numerous turns and changes of direction as he thinks he is losing the Troopers on the ground. From there the suspect drove to a nearby residence and pulled into the garage for a bit before pulling back out again with a Trooper waiting just feet away.

Everywhere the Suspect Went, Troopers Were There

Troopers had set up officers at multiple points on the ground in the suspect's path causing him to u-turn and change directions before speeding off again. The WSP Aviation Unit followed the suspect to Argent Road, then Chemical Drive, and S Finley Road with Troopers on the ground causing him to change direction each time.

The Suspect was Cornered in a Driveway

Being on the ground and in unfamiliar territory, the suspect pulled into a driveway and was cornered. He instantly realized it, abandoned his vehicle, jumped a nearby fence, and ran into a green field. Shortly after, Washington State Troopers corned the suspect, tackled him to the ground, and arrested him. I wonder how long it took him to wonder how all these police were showing up everywhere he tried to run. The answer was right above his nose a few hundred feet up in the sky.