Federal Way police officer on bike struck by fleeing shoplifter; pursuit ends in crash

Published 2:37 pm Saturday, January 2, 2016

A shoplifter is facing multiple charges after he allegedly struck a Federal Way police officer on a bicycle with the suspect’s vehicle and eventually crashed into three vehicles while he was eluding police, sending one driver to the hospital with a serious injury on Friday.

At approximately 4:12 p.m., a Federal Way Police Department mall officer on a bicycle attempted to locate the 28-year-old Federal Way man after the suspect allegedly grabbed merchandise from The Commons mall Macy’s and fled in his vehicle.

The suspect allegedly spotted the officer and intentionally struck the officer on the bike with his vehicle to elude capture, according to Federal Way police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock. The officer was not injured.

A second officer located the fleeing vehicle southbound on Pacific Highway South. As the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver continued to elude police and drove at low speed south on Pacific Highway South. The driver allegedly committed a hit and run at approximately 330th Street and Pacific Highway South, damaging two vehicles.

He continued south and increased speed. The police pursuit was terminated at South 348th Street, where the suspect’s vehicle collided with three additional vehicles at the intersection of South 356th Street and Pacific Highway South.

One of the drivers suffered a serious injury and he was transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment, Schrock said.

The suspect was booked into King County Jail and faces charges for first-degree assault of a police officer, vehicular assault, eluding, hit and run and additional theft charges from the originating incident.

The suspect’s criminal history includes misdemeanor warrants for third-degree theft and resisting arrest out of Federal Way.