Two plainclothes detectives who witnessed a purse snatching at a Federal Way grocery store led to a police pursuit that ended in the suspects’ arrest on Monday morning.

The two King County Sheriff’s Office detectives in an unmarked squad car happened to be driving through the parking lot of the South 320th Street Safeway when they witnessed the purse snatching, according to King County Sgt. Ryan Abbott.

Two suspects allegedly grabbed a purse away from a woman who was at her car in the parking lot, and after a brief scuffle the suspects got into a vehicle and drove away, Abbott said. The two detectives turned on their police lights and attempted to pull over the car, but the car sped out of the parking lot and headed northbound on South 320th Street.

During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle struck another vehicle. The driver and front passenger in the suspect vehicle were both arrested and the victim’s purse was returned to her.

Abbott said the other occupants of the suspect vehicle fled, but the officers did not feel the need to pursue them as they were not involved in the purse snatching.

The occupants of the other vehicle were not injured in the crash, Abbott said.

A section of South 320th Street was closed following the crash as the King County Sheriff’s Office assessed the scene.