Thurston County sheriff assaulted during DUI arrest

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders says he was assaulted by a DUI suspect who threw a drink in his face and grabbed him by the throat.

The drink blinded the sheriff for a few seconds, as he scuffled with the man and struggled to subdue him with a taser.

This all started when Sanders was on patrol on Steilacoom Rd. and noticed a man driving a white, utility pickup truck, with no taillights, going 53 miles per hour in a 35 zone.

The sheriff says he witnessed the driver nearly rear end another car, and then pass the other vehicle in a no-pass zone.

Sanders deployed his emergency lights and siren, but the driver didn’t pull over, and instead sped off.

The incident started when Thurston Co. Sheriff Derek Sanders noticed this white utility truck headed down Steilacoom Rd. with no lights. (Photo: Thurston Co. Sheriff’s Office)

Eventually, Sheriff Sanders followed the suspect to the driveway of the suspect’s home.

When the DUI suspect exited his truck with a drink in his hand, video from the sheriff’s body camera appears to show the man didn’t realize he was being pursued by law enforcement, and started heading into his house.

Watch the body cam video of the arrest, from Sheriff Sanders’ Facebook page.

In the audio from the sheriff’s body cam, you can hear Sanders order the suspect to put his hands up, to put his drink down, and to listen to his instructions.

But the driver refused.

He repeated that he was on private property, inferring that the sheriff did not have the right to make an arrest, and refused to cooperate or follow any commands.

In a statement released on Facebook, Sheriff Sanders writes:

The driver then tried to run inside their house.  When I grabbed a hold of them, they doused me in the face and eyes with what smelled like sweet liquor, at which point a fight ensued. The first portion of the fight I wasn’t able to see clearly.”

The sheriff reports the suspect then grasped at his vest, turning his emergency radio off.

He also ripped a lapel microphone from his vest.

“At one point, the suspect grabbed a hold of my throat,” Sanders reported.  “A taser was deployed, but due to the extremely close proximity, it failed.  A nearby neighbor saw the fight and ran over, and we took the suspect down onto the ground.”

Backup deputies soon arrived, including a K-9 unit with a dog named “Asher.”

The suspect continued to fight as Asher arrived and bit him on the ear.

Once the suspect was bitten, he gave up.

But he continued to resist and make threats against the officers.

So deputies eventually deployed what’s called a “WRAP” restraint system, which uses a locking shoulder harness.

It’s designed to protect officers as well as those who resist arrest, reducing the possibility of injury.

Family members say they actually had offered to drive the suspect home from an event earlier in the evening, but he refused.

They also said he did not have permission to drive the family’s company vehicle.

The sheriff says a decision was made not to impound the truck for evidence, since the family needed it to earn a living.

The arresting officers obtained a warrant for a blood test to be taken from the suspect, to be tested for alcohol and drugs.

He was transported to a hospital, then was expected to be booked into jail.

Deputies say he is likely to be charged with several crimes, including Reckless Driving, DUI, Felony Assault on a Peace Officer, Obstructing, Resisting Arrest, Failure to Obey a Police Officer Signaling a Traffic Stop, and Driving with a Suspended License.

Sheriff Sanders says he awarded the helpful neighbor who assisted with the arrest of the suspect with Sheriff Challenge Coin.