In the early morning of December 31st, at about 1am, both on-duty Sumner Police Officers were heading to Forest Canyon Rd at Sumner Tapps Hwy to assist Pierce County Sheriff’s Department with a possible burglary in progress at a gun store. However, Sumner’s officers were rerouted to investigate a collision on Parker Rd E at Main St E.
When they arrived at the collision, Officers found the driver of a truck, a 41-year-old man from Sumner, who had crashed into a parked car. The driver complained of injury and showed signs that he was impaired by alcohol. The driver was arrested for DUI and transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Sumner’s officers were again rerouted from the collision to respond to the 1500 Block of Valley Ave for a report of an armed carjacking of an Uber driver. The driver reported that his Ford Escape was stolen at gunpoint after he was “boxed-in” by three Hyundais. While en-route to this scene, one officer already found an unoccupied Hyundai in the ditch in the 1400 block of Valley Ave with its engine running. It was later determined that the Hyundai abandoned in the ditch had been used in the attempted burglary of the gun store and was one of the vehicles that “boxed-in” the Uber driver. The suspects fled the scene in two Hyundais and the Uber driver’s Ford Escape before the officers arrived. Sumner’s officers found another of the Hyundais that fled abandoned nearby. Both recovered vehicles had been stolen from apartment complex parking lots here in Sumner.
The other Hyundai that fled was located and pursued by Puyallup Police to Tacoma, where the 17-year-old male driver, possibly from Kent, and a 15-year-old female passenger from Federal Way were arrested with help from Tacoma PD and Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. A handgun was located near the vehicle. Both juveniles were booked into Remann Hall. That Hyundai had been stolen from Kent.
The Ford Escape was located by Puyallup Police and pursued by Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and Lakewood PD to Mountain Hwy where the driver, a 15-year-old male from Renton, was arrested after Stop Sticks and PIT. He was armed with a black colored BB gun that looked like a Glock and booked into Remann Hall. A passenger in the vehicle ran away and was not captured.
Even in Sumner, officers can be very busy with multiple calls at once. Sometimes, the calls can be related to each other and sometimes, not. We are fortunate to have great relationships with other police agencies in Pierce County, and we accomplish far more when we work together. We appreciate the collaboration with Puyallup Police, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Tacoma Police, and Lakewood Police that resulted in the arrest of these dangerous suspects.
