Police on Dec. 30 were dispatched to the intersection of 190th Avenue East and 101st Street East for a report of a mailbox damaged during a hit and run.

Police located the damaged mailbox and noted a pair of skid marks leading up to where it was leaning over at a steep angle. The reporting party told police he had seen a truck attempting to drive down the hill when it spun around 180 degrees and struck the mailbox with its rear bumper. The reporting party spoke to the driver, whom he said appeared intoxicated.

The driver also stated he lived on the road and police attempted to contact the driver at his residence, but when they arrived the vehicle in question was not there and nobody answered the door, though the garage was open and lights and music were on. An unattended fire also burned in the yard so the officer assumed the owner would soon return and parked on the street near the residence.

Soon after, a vehicle matching the description passed the officer. The officer witnessed the vehicle speeding, despite icy roads, and turned into the residence. The officer pulled in behind the vehicle and observed the drive, who also matched the description given by the witness, exit the vehicle before the officer could tell him to stay in his car.

The officer said he wanted to talk about the mailbox and the driver got aggressive and said “I don’t know anything about any mailbox.” The officer also noted a strong smell of intoxicants and while the officer spoke with him, he was unsteady on his feet and his eyes were bloodshot and watery.

The suspect repeatedly put his hands in his pockets despite being asked not to do so and continued to shout at the officer. He repeatedly tried to walk away and argued with the officer, telling him he was on private property. The suspect insulted the officer and said “You Bonney Lake police have screwed me before.”

He told police he had a single beer and the officer told him that while he initially wanted to talk about the mailbox, he now believed the suspect to have been driving while intoxicated.

Because the suspect was acting aggressively and continued to put his hands in his pockets despite being told not to, field sobriety tests were not conducted. The officer attempted to arrest the suspect, who then jerked away and began to struggle with the officer, who was eventually able to twist the man’s arm behind his back.

The suspect was placed in the patrol car and refused to answer whether he understood his rights, telling the officer “I gotta f*** with you.” The suspect also went through “severe mood swings” alternating between being cooperative and insulting the officer.

He was transported to Buckley Jail for processing, where he continued to refuse to say whether he understood his rights, before stating “I’m an angry person. I hate being f***ed with and I don’t put up with it.”

After a brief period in which he refused to acknowledge the implied consent for the breath test, the suspect requested an attorney and was allowed to speak privately with a public defender, at which time he agreed to the breath tests, which showed his blood alcohol level to be above the legal limit.

He was cited for driving under the influence, hit and run unattended property and resisting a public officer and was booked into the Buckley Jail.