CENTRALIA, Wash. — Video posted by the Thurston County Sheriff (TCSO) shows deputies chasing an SUV with two people inside following an alleged theft at a Nike store in Centralia, TCSO posted on Facebook.
On May 11, deputies were alerted to one person stealing from the store and then seen getting into a red SUV, which drove off onto I-5 northbound, the sheriff says.
Thurston deputies say they found the SUV and tried to pull it over, but the driver started to flee.
Dashcam shows a deputy chasing the SUV at high speed on I-5, and at one point, the patrol car deployed a Starchase GPS tracking device, but it did not stick to the vehicle.
The SUV got off I-5 at the DuPont exit and slammed into a wall on the right side of the road, then went across the road, hitting another wall on the left side before a patrol car pinned the SUV.
One suspect was arrested for the alleged theft and an active warrant, while the alleged getaway driver was booked for eluding police, reckless endangerment, and possession of stolen property, TCSO said.
TCSO DEPUTIES PURSUE, CAPTURE THEFT SUSPECT AND GETAWAY DRIVER On May 11th, TCSO was advised of a theft from Nike in Centralia in which the suspect got into a red van and fled north on I5. A TCSO deputy located the car heading north on I5 in Olympia, and a Starchase equipped deputy moved up to the front of the stack. A traffic stop was attempted and the driver chose to flee. A Starchase deployment was attempted but unsuccessful. Deputies requested air support, however nothing was available. A pursuit was authorized. The fleeing vehicle took the DuPont exit and crashed into a wall before being pinned in by the pursuing deputy. Two occupants were detained without further incident. A search warrant was executed on the vehicle to obtain the stolen merchandise. The passenger was turned over to Centralia Police to be booked for their theft, and also had an active warrant for theft. The getaway driver, a convicted felon on active supervision, was booked into TCSO jail for attempting to elude a police vehicle, reckless endangerment, and possession of stolen property. He is currently held on $10,000 bail. No damage was sustained to the patrol car or any uninvolved motorists, and the fleeing vehicle was impounded.
Posted by Sheriff Sanders on Thursday, May 15, 2025
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