All persons in the police blotter are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

OUT-OF-CONTROL DRIVER: (This entry is related to a story appearing in the Courier-Herald’s July 31 issue, but contains further information.) At 6:30 p.m. July 23, officers were dispatched to 189th Avenue East, where a caller observed a white station wagon perform a donut turn and speed off at an estimated 90 miles per hour on the 25 mile per hour residential street. While officers were en route, another caller reported the vehicle had moved on to Angeline and the shirtless driver was screaming about being shot at. An officer on the way to investigate observed the vehicle speeding in the opposite direction and activated the patrol car’s emergency lights. The station wagon veered into the oncoming lane and came within feet of the patrol car, which was forced to swerve to the shoulder to avoid a collision. The officer pursued the car onto South Prairie Road East and 214th Avenue East, where it ran a red light and momentarily eluded the chase until motorists indicated the driver had turned onto 119th Street East. On 119th, the car switched direction and again attempted to swerve into the patrol car, allowing the driver to again momentarily lose police. The patrol car, another Bonney Lake officer and a sheriff’s deputy caught up with the vehicle on South Prairie Road East as it traveled westbound, then east onto state Route 410. The station wagon drove off 410 through South Prairie and toward Orting. Dispatch coordinated with Puyallup and Orting police to assist. The suspect driver lost control of his vehicle west of Orville Road East, sliding off the roadway and landing on its roof in a ditch. The driver exhibited odd behavior leading police to believe he may have been under the influence of methamphetamine or narcotic bath salts. He said he was being chased and shot at. He crawled from the vehicle on command and was handcuffed. He was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, under guard by a Bonney Lake officer at paramedics’ request. He was placed under medical supervision until he could be released to Pierce County jail for booking on two counts of reckless driving, two counts of first-degree assault and one count of attempting to elude a police vehicle.

MALICIOUS MISCHIEF: On July 24, an officer was dispatched to Ashton Avenue in response to a caller who had seen juveniles put something in a microwave on the porch, causing it to spark. The reporting party had already unplugged the microwave and there was no imminent danger of fire. The arriving officer opened the microwave and observed the melted remains of a cigarette lighter. The caller said she was walking her dog and had observed two white boys, approximately 12 or 13 years old, on the porch. She did not see them with the microwave but believed they were involved due to her finding the sparking appliance soon afterward. The officer documented the damage for evidence.

SHOPLIFTING: Shortly before 1:30 a.m. July 25, an officer was called to a theft at the AM/PM. The patrol car was in the vicinity and briefly laid in wait for the suspect vehicle — a silver Chrysler sedan — to pass, but it did not. The officer continued to the business, where an employee reported a white male with a blackened eye, possibly in his 20s, removed an 18-pack of Budweiser beer from the cooler and left the store without paying. Earlier in the day, the officer had assisted sheriff’s deputies in handling a party complaint on 218th Avenue East, where the same make and model car had been parked on the shoulder of the road. The partygoers had been made to pour out their remaining alcohol, and the officer believed it likely they had gone out for more beer. Another officer and a sheriff’s deputy joined in responding to the party, where the sedan was parked and warm to the touch. Police almost immediately found a man with all the physical characteristics and clothing of the suspect, holding a Budweiser beer. He was arrested and cited without incident, and the remaining beer was recovered.

INTERRUPTED PROWL: Shortly before 2:30 a.m. July 25, an officer traveling south on 214th Avenue East observed two people running away from vehicles belonging to O’Reilly Auto Parts. A two-officer area check did not yield suspects. One of the cars had a smashed-in window, and a clipboard and manual credit card imprinter were found laying under another vehicle. It appeared the patrol car’s presence had interrupted a vehicle prowl. A manager for the business was contacted regarding the damage and attempted theft. At 8:14 a.m., another officer was called to a reported vehicle prowl outside Auto Zone. Paperwork of no financial value had been taken from the glove compartment. The reporting employee was informed of the earlier morning theft.

FOUND DRUGS: At 8:46 a.m. July 25, a citizen alerted police to possible narcotics found near the Mountain View Middle School track. An officer confiscated the baggie of crystalline substance, which tested positive for methamphetamine.

DUI: At 6:55 a.m. July 28, an officer was dispatched to a single-car rollover accident on 193rd Avenue East. A red sport utility vehicle was turned on its side in the northbound lane. The caller reported she had heard the collision and gone outside to find a man crawling from the car. She said she asked if he was OK and he responded “Don’t call the police.” Another officer was summoned to search for anyone traveling on foot; he was able to meet with a friend of the driver who identified the driver and said he had returned to his (the friend’s house) after the crash. The friend said they had all been drinking the night before and he had, at one point, taken the suspect’s keys. The suspect approached police at the scene of the crash and said it had been caused by looking down to change the radio station. He exhibited signs of possible intoxication and the officer asked if he would participate in field sobriety tests, which he did. The tests showed signs of intoxication, and the suspect was processed and cited for driving under the influence.

BURGLARY: At 10:44 a.m. July 30, an officer responded to the lobby where a citizen reported the residential burglary of a 94th Street East garage. Chainsaws, an outboard motor and a pressure washer had been taken from the garage at some point in July. The man was advised to monitor Craigslist and the local pawn shops for the stolen items, and given a case number.

BORED AND LARCENOUS: At 7:08 p.m. July 30, officers were dispatched to Walmart, where a man had reportedly just shoplifted a backpack. The store’s asset protection officer said the suspect had gotten into a vehicle, which then pulled into the nearby Jack in the Box drive-thru. Police stopped the car as it was exiting the drive-thru lane and detained the suspected passenger, who had the backpack on the floor between his legs. He agreed to speak to police and said he took the backpack because he was “bored walking around.” When asked if he took anything else, he said he took some lighters and a white cord. In a later interview with asset protection, the store officer said he had recognized the man from prior similar incidents, which had resulted in his banishment from the store. He observed the theft but did not interfere, as the suspect had become violent with employees in the past. The suspect was booked into Puyallup Jail for second-degree criminal trespass and third-degree theft. The driver of the car was found to have a misdemeanor arrest warrant out of Buckley, and an officer arranged a meet with Buckley police. She said she was not aware her passenger had stolen the backpack.