A man and a woman were arrested late Monday, Feb. 19., near Morris Road in Yelm on suspicion of driving under the influence, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) posted on Facebook.
TCSO attempted to stop the male driver of the truck, which was pulling an excavator, but the man fled and a pursuit was initiated. The vehicle slid off the roadway and both occupants bailed on foot, deputies said. TCSO deputies and Yelm police pursued on foot and captured both the driver and passenger.
TCSO K9 Igo responded to the scene and located a loaded gun in the bushes near where the driver was captured, according to the TCSO post.
The male driver was taken into custody for attempting to elude a police vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm. According to TCSO, the man has 15 prior felony convictions, with three for unlawful possession of a firearm and an active warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. This incident will be his fifth unlawful possession of a firearm charge in the court system.
The female passenger had an active warrant out of Pierce County for possession of a stolen vehicle, according to the post. Pierce County was unable to confirm either of their warrants due to booking restrictions, the post said.
