Man escaping DOC custody caught fishing, jumps into river in attempted getaway
Sep 4, 2025, 8:03 AM
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police arrest a person on the run after escaping Department of Corrections custody. (Photo courtesy of WDFW)
(Photo courtesy of WDFW)
A person on the run after escaping Department of Corrections (DOC) custody was arrested after law enforcement found him fishing along the Stillaguamish River.
An officer with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) found the suspect fishing at Haller Park on the Stillaguamish River on Sept. 3 at approximately 9:15 a.m. The officer asked his department to run the man’s information. When WDFW did, the officer was alerted the man had an active DOC warrant.
The officer attempted to take the man into custody. Instead of complying, the suspect tried to escape by jumping into the river.
“Officer Tank went after the man in the river, where she caught up to him downriver on the opposite shore,” WDFW wrote. “The man, now tired and wet, was placed into custody.”
The suspect was subsequently booked into the Snohomish County Jail. It’s unclear why the officer thought to have WDFW run the man’s information, as of this reporting.
“Washington State Fish and Wildlife Police are responsible for law enforcement statewide, including state and federal lands and waters, and respond to a variety of related issues from poaching to natural disaster response, public safety to habitat and endangered species protection,” WDFW wrote.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
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