SEATTLE — Authorities are searching for the suspect who led a multi-county police pursuit through Seattle on both directions of Interstate 5 Sunday afternoon.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office (PCSO), deputies responded to the 8400 block of 207th St E at about 9:45 a.m. for a report of a man "slumped" behind the wheel of a truck that was reportedly stolen out of Bothell in June.
"When dispatch ran that plate, they found it was a stolen vehicle out of Bothell," said Sgt. Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. "The suspect decided that he was not going to slow down or pull over."
The suspect reportedly hit two vehicles at 128th and Canyon Road East in Puyallup and continued to flee.
The pursuit continued north into King County where Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers took over. Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) cameras captured the suspect fleeing from police through Seattle. The suspect continued into Snohomish County where he reportedly turned around and began heading south on I-5 back through Seattle.
The WSP said the truck was spiked near southbound I-5 at Boeing Access but continued on flat tires into the Rainier Valley area. The driver fled the vehicle on foot leaving behind a woman and 4-year-old child.
The PCSO said the suspect was known to law enforcement and had several arrest warrants.
Chris Holley, who lives nearby, said he saw the truck being towed after the chase. He snapped a photo of it.
"I thought it was weird that it was, like, a utility truck," Holley said. "It looked like it, it had been stolen. I don't think that's usually something you see, where all the tires are blown out."
Holley and other neighbors told KING 5 that the situation was concerning.
"I think people can feel like they can commit crimes and they won't see the repercussions of that," Holley said. "I would like him to be caught."
The PCSO is the lead investigating agency and WSP will be investigating hit-and-runs that reportedly occurred during the pursuit.
In total, the chase lasted nearly one and a half hours.
"Had we had known that there was a four-year-old inside of the vehicle, we would have terminated immediately," Moss said. "We're not going to put the kid at more risk."
Officials identified the man with the help of his four-year-old son, who told deputies the name of his father.
Deputies said nobody was seriously hurt.
"We want to get this guy in custody, because he's just too reckless for the area," Moss said. "He needs to come forward. He needs to turn himself in. If he doesn't, we'll be finding him pretty soon."
The suspect will be facing hit-and-run charges and a charge of felony eluding. Moss said the 31-year-old's previous warrants included stealing another car and obstructing an officer, among other things.