Members of the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) seized 2 kilograms of fentanyl and 2 pounds of marijuana after a traffic stop in Chehalis turned into a police chase that ended with a crash in South Thurston County Sunday, according to a news release from JNET.
On Sunday, members of JNET initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling northbound on Interstate 5 at milepost 77 in Chehalis.
The vehicle, a black BMW, initially stopped for a marked police vehicle but then sped away at a high rate of speed, according to the news release.
“Chehalis Police Department patrol units were able to successfully deploy spike strips on the fleeing vehicle,” JNET wrote in the release. “While attempting to elude officers, the driver struck an uninvolved passenger vehicle, near milepost 81. Members of JNET, Centralia Police Department and Chehalis Police Department were able to catch up to the suspect vehicle just before Exit 88. The driver of the suspect vehicle attempted to exit Interstate 5 at exit 88 and lost control of the vehicle.”
According to JNET, the suspect’s vehicle spun out in front of a marked police vehicle, which then struck the BMW, pinning it between the guardrail and the marked police vehicle.
After a short standoff, the driver, who has been identified as Deante R. May, of Pierce County, was taken into custody, according to JNET.
A search warrant was obtained for the BMW. That’s when 2 kilograms of fentanyl powder and 2 pounds of maijuana were found, according to JNET, which estimated the value of the powder between $120,000 and $200,000.
May was booked into the Lewis County Jail for eluding a police vehicle, possession of fentanyl with the intent to deliver, and possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver.
The traffic collisions are being investigated by the Washington State Patrol.
“This is an ongoing investigation and no other information is being released at this time,” JNET stated in the release.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Centralia Police Department at 360-330-7680 or Lewis County Communications at 360-740-1105.
JNET is a multi-jurisdictional task force made up of Detectives from the Centralia Police Department, the Chehalis Police Department, Washington Department of Corrections and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
