A 21-year-old male suspect was arrested for assaulting a Bellevue Police officer and driving under the influence in the city’s Crossroads neighborhood Wednesday morning.
At approximately 6:14 a.m., a concerned resident notified law enforcement of a male subject who was slumped over the wheel of a 2016 silver Hyundai sedan on the intersection of 148th Avenue NE and Bel-Red Road.
Officers arrived at the scene shortly after the call and confirmed the subject was passed out in the drivers’ seat and saw that the vehicle was vehicle running and in “drive.” Officers also noticed the ignition had been removed and the lock on the driver’s door had been punched.
Additionally, officers discovered the subject was in possession of various tools that could be used to conduct additional theft and burglary crimes. These tools were in the center console of the vehicle.
Bellevue Police developed probable cause and made the decision to arrest the man for driving under the influence and possible motor vehicle theft. As a precautionary measure and before officers attempted to make an arrest, two marked police vehicles were maneuvered in front of and behind the vehicle.
The suspect quickly began to resist arrest the moment the officers woke him up, which created concern the suspect could gain control of the vehicle, ram the vehicles enough to leave the scene, and jeopardize the safety of the community. This concern prompted law enforcement to call for additional units and deploy the use of tasers during the arrest.
An officer sustained a broken finger during the incident, which occurred while the suspect was resisting arrest. Both the suspect and the officer received treatment at Overlake Medical Center.
The suspect was arrested for the following crimes:
Driving Under the Influence, One Count
Assault of a Police Officer, One Count
Resisting Arrest, One Count
Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, One Count
Possession of Burglary Tools, One Count
Ignition Interlock Violation, One Count
Possession of Stolen Mail, One Count
Driving while suspended, One Count
Bellevue Police were also notified the suspect may have allegedly been involved in an incident in Redmond prior to Wednesday morning’s incident. For that case, the suspect fled Redmond Police in a stolen Hyundai Elantra, which was recovered in the same apartment complex that the vehicle involved in the Bellevue incident was stolen from. Because of this information, as well as evidence located in the vehicle by Bellevue Police, police believe the same suspect was involved in both incidents. Additionally, Bellevue Police recovered suspected stolen mail from at least 29 victims in Bellevue and Redmond.
The suspect was processed and later booked into the King County Jail for the above listed charges. Any new information will be released via the Bellevue Beat Blog.
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