WSP Arrests Suspect Accused Of Spring 2021 Drive-By Shooting

TACOMA, WA — Washington State Patrol troopers this week arrested a suspect accused of a drive-by shooting that happened almost one year ago in downtown Tacoma.

In that May 28, 2021 shooting, a driver had been stopped at the traffic light to the I-5 on-ramp from E 28th

In that incident, the driver was taking some time to give money to a homeless person in need of assistance at the intersection, and wasn't ready to go when the light turned from red to green. Behind him, a driver in a Kia got frustrated at the delay, and pulled up alongside the other driver, honking his horn and yelling. The victim yelled back, until the driver of the Kia pulled out a gun, and fired it three times into the other vehicle. One bullet hit the victim in the leg, another missed his head by inches.

For almost a year, WSP's Criminal Investigation Division continued to investigate the case and search for the escaped suspect. They got their big break thanks to a recent broadcast of Washington's Most Wanted, which showed surveillance footage and photos of the incident, and resulted in multiple viewers sending in tips all identifying the suspect as the same man: Rodney L. Hebert.

Detectives confirmed that Hebert was the registered owner of a blue Kia Optima like the one identified in the shooting, but were initially unable to track Hebert down at any of his listed addresses. So, they petitioned Pierce County Prosecutors and received an arrest warrant on several charges, including attempted murder, assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Their investigation came to a head on Thursday, when an alert for Hebert's arrest was issued to law enforcement officers across the state. A team of WSP detectives and SWAT operators then came together, and, with the assistance of the Puget Sound Auto Theft Taskforce who followed Hebert to his job in downtown Seattle — arrested him. Hebert had a gun on his person at the time of his arrest, WSP, but he did not draw the weapon and was arrested without incident.

Troopers describe Hebert as having a "long history of criminal convictions" and say they're thankful SWAT team members were able to apprehend him safely and professionally.