VIDEO: Thurston County deputies use PIT maneuver to stop reckless felon in I-5 chase

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) deputies used a pit maneuver to rein in a driver fleeing inside an unlicensed SUV Sunday night.

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders posted about the pursuit on Facebook, stating a deputy tried to stop the SUV after seeing the driver run a stop sign onto a busy road. The driver took off, with the deputy chasing after.

“The driver fled north on I-5 into Pierce County, where they sideswiped a white work van before picking up a random bumper on the shoulder,” Sanders wrote. “Our partners at Lakewood Police joined to assist. The driver attempted to flee toward the busy streets of South Tacoma when the pursuing deputy performed a PIT maneuver and pushed the suspect off the road.”

Thurston County deputies arrest driver

The sheriff said the driver got out of the SUV and initially cooperated, but then lowered their hands into their waistband and got back inside the vehicle. The driver was then taken into custody at gunpoint.

TCSO discovered the driver was a convicted felon and had an active DOC (Department of Corrections) escape warrant and a suspended license.

“The driver was booked into TCSO jail for attempting to elude, DWLS 3rd, hit-and-run, reckless driving, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock, and their felony escape warrant.” Sanders wrote. “The suspect also had numerous warrants from jurisdictions along the I-5 corridor, and their crime spree comes to an end.”