Two 22-year-old men have been arrested after a suspected drive-by shooting in Puyallup, Washington, ended with a silver SUV crashing into a Pierce County Sheriff’s Office patrol car.
The incident happened at about 10.20pm on Friday, October 9, when the SUV reportedly ran a red light at the junction of 160th Street East and Meridian and struck a sergeant’s vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.
The SUV fled south along Meridian after the collision. The sergeant tried to follow, but the patrol car was disabled in the crash.
Deputies later received information that the vehicle had pulled into the car park of a Fred Meyer supermarket near 176th Street East and Meridian. The two men were arrested as they left the store.
One of the men was identified as the driver. The other, described as the passenger, was allegedly carrying a loaded firearm in his waistband. Deputies searching the SUV also found an open container of tequila and spent shell casings.
Investigators said the following day that the driver had allegedly thrown a firearm from the vehicle after the crash. A police dog named Smokey later located a weapon-mounted light in the 16200 block of Meridian, while a member of the public found a matching gun slide and alerted police.
The sheriff’s office said the firearm was confirmed to have been stolen. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not disclosed where the initial drive-by shooting took place or whether anyone was injured.
The driver faces allegations including drive-by shooting, vehicular assault, hit-and-run, driving under the influence, attempting to elude a police vehicle, driving with a suspended licence and outstanding warrants.
The passenger was arrested on suspicion of drive-by shooting and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
