A Chehalis man pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony charges stemming from an August incident where he allegedly assaulted a woman and fled from police.
The man, identified as Devin James Michael Munsey, 30, is accused of choking a woman at a Chehalis residence on Aug. 11 and then fleeing the scene in a pickup truck. The woman told police Munsey also assaulted her a week prior, giving her a black eye.
The woman reportedly “refused to provide a written statement as she was terrified of Devin,” according to documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court.
An officer with the Chehalis Police Department reportedly pursued the pickup as it drove through multiple stop signs in a residential area at speeds of up to 60 mph on Aug. 11, but the officer terminated the pursuit when he lost sight of the pickup.
A short time later, dispatch reportedly advised law enforcement personnel that Munsey had called, said he was at a Napavine business and allegedly said “he was aware officers were looking for him,” according to court documents. A Chehalis officer reportedly instructed Munsey to turn himself in, which Munsey did not do. Munsey’s defense attorney has since said Munsey was unaware police were looking for him.
According to court documents, officers had been “attempting to locate (Munsey) for quite some time with no success” when the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office filed domestic violence second-degree assault, domestic violence fourth-degree assault and attempt to elude charges against him on Sept. 25.
A Lewis County Superior Court judge approved a $250,000 warrant for Munsey’s arrest that same day.
Munsey was arrested on that warrant and was booked into the Lewis County Jail just before 7:05 p.m. on Sept. 27, according to jail records. A Lewis County Superior Court judge lowered his bail to $100,000 during a preliminary hearing on Sept. 28 and Munsey entered not-guilty pleas to all charges on Oct. 5.
Munsey was still in custody at the Lewis County Jail as of Friday. A non-contact order protecting the victim is in place.
Trial is scheduled to begin the week of Nov. 27.
