Sumner Police Blotter, August 6-9

August 6

Weapons brandishing

12:32am: Officers were dispatched to the Silo Tavern for a report of weapons brandishing. Communications advised that the suspect had brandished a handgun to customers and left the scene headed westbound.

The bar bouncer told police that he asked the man to leave the bar after a verbal confrontation over the man’s girlfriend and another guy, who had asked her to dance. When the suspect got confrontational, a verbal argument between him and the other man broke out. When the suspect was told he could not reenter the bar, he walked to the vehicle and pulled out the gun in an open handed display. Once inside the car, the man pointed the gun toward the tavern and said he had “34 rounds ready.”

Officers located a car matching the description in the parking lot of Captain Jack’s Tavern and activated a traffic stop. The front passenger exited the vehicle and began yelling and waving his arms above his head. The man appeared to be yelling something similar to “what the f***” and the officer advised him to calm down. He then opened the car door without being advised to do so and was cussing and waving his arms above his head. At this time, police recognized the man as their suspect and as someone they have had previous contacts with. He refused verbal commands to back down, abruptly reached for his waistband and pulled out a knife and cell phone, which he threw on the ground. He was yelling at officers to “just shoot him,” and that’s when police activated Tasers on the man. They were able to subdue him after multiple hits to his torso area. The other passengers were frisked and detained as well.

The female driver told police they came from the Silo Tavern and she didn’t realize the man, her boyfriend, had the gun until he pulled it out. She said the gun was her 9mm and that police could take it. The couple has three children together.

The man was a convicted felon with a prior conviction of unlawful firearm possession, 2nd degree. He was charged with unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm, first degree.

August 4

Possession of Stolen Property

6:54pm: Officers responded to Fred Meyer for a report of two shoplifters in custody. Immediately on arrival, the loss prevention officer showed officers a male on the surveillance camera, who was trying to return stolen items from the Puyallup Fred Meyer store. She had been notified by the other store that he had tried to return stolen jeans and sheets from their store and was trying to return over $400 worth of items at the Sumner location.

Police contacted the man, who said he was returning things that he got “from his grandma.” The officer asked if he knew his grandmother’s number. He said yes and pulled out his cell phone, but then abruptly closed the phone and admitted he didn’t get the items from his grandmother, but rather, from his friend. He admitted the items were “probably stolen.”

The man said that he met this guy in the Puyallup Fred Meyer parking lot and agreed to return the items to the Sumner Fred Meyer. In exchange, the other man would fill up his gas tank. He said the other man was parked outside. When asked why he would agree to this arrangement, the man said, “I only work about four hours a day for $11 an hour, and I didn’t steal the items.”

When officers searched the man, they found three pills in his pocket that turned out to be morphine. He said he found them on the ground before he made contact with the other man. They also found a brown knife.

When officers called the other man he said, “I’m not going to be arrested, am I?” He eventually came and spoke to officers and admitted he got the items from a “tweaker.” He said he had already returned some of the items to a Kent store but that he did not steal them himself.

Based on police observations, both men were charged with possession of stolen property, third degree, and criminal citation. Police booked the pills and knife at the department headquarters.

August 9

DUI

6:28pm: Officers responded to West Valley Highway to check on a possible DUI, headed north. Dispatch advised that a witness saw the Camaro almost hit two vehicles, tailgate others and cross the center lane. The witness saw the Camaro pull into a used car lot. Officers arrived to find the car parked in the lot with the windows down and the driver gone.

The dealership owner was contacted and he said the car did not belong to his dealership, but another employee said he saw a man run through the lot, headed east toward the highway. Officers ran to the hillside and began searching for the man. They chased him through the brush and almost lost him in a muddy area. Eventually, they found him lying on his back in some mud. He had something in his hands, which ended up being a cell phone and a set of car keys. The man said it was OK because he had only had two beers and needed to be in North Dakota for work on Monday.

When officers walked the man back to their patrol car, he had a hard time staying on his feet and appeared severely intoxicated. He refused to take a field sobriety test and said he wanted to go home, otherwise he’d lose his job.

The man was booked for DUI and his car was eventually towed.