A man was detained Wednesday afternoon by law enforcement near the Chehalis River after a local angler offered his boat to assist officers in capturing and transporting the suspect to the Fort Borst Park boat launch.
The Washington State Patrol began chasing the suspect for DUI and hit-and-run in Pierce County. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) joined the pursuit, taking the lead as the suspect entered Lewis County.
A Thurston County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle deployed a Grappler device, causing the suspect to “leave the roadway and come to a stop in a field” near the Chehalis and Centralia border on Airport Road, according to a Facebook post from Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders and information provided at the scene.
Deputies followed the suspect as he fled on foot from southbound Interstate 5 through fields near Airport Road to where the suspect jumped into the Chehalis River.
A local angler, Stanley Combs, noticed officers standing along the tree line from his boat in the river. He quickly realized what was going on when he saw the suspect in the water. Combs then helped the officers catch the suspect by letting them use his boat.
The officers and Combs transported the suspect to the Fort Borst Park boat launch, where law enforcement and emergency responders were waiting for the suspect.
There were no reported injuries and no vehicle damage.
Sanders rewarded Combs with a challenge coin for “stepping up and helping get a dangerous driver in custody.”
This article will be updated.
