On Christmas Day, a 24-year-old man forcibly removed a female Washington State Patrol lieutenant from her vehicle, commandeered the cruiser, and initiated a high-speed pursuit along Interstate 5, as reported by authorities.
Alexander Eugene Smith is now facing multiple charges, including robbery, attempting to elude, possession of a stolen vehicle, assault, and driving under the influence. According to the Daily Caller, Smith admitted to officers that he had consumed methamphetamine prior to the incident, as detailed in an arrest report obtained by KOMO News.
Smith declined to attend his initial court appearance on Friday afternoon, with a bond hearing scheduled for Saturday at the King County Jail. The chaotic sequence of events began around 11 a.m. on Thursday when troopers responded to reports of a pedestrian on I-5 near Northgate Way in Seattle.
Despite orders to leave the highway, Smith ran through traffic lanes, according to the arrest report. When a lieutenant arrived in her patrol car, Smith seized the opportunity, pulling her from the vehicle and fleeing in the cruiser, an incident captured on video.
Troopers quickly engaged in pursuit, following the stolen patrol car northbound on I-5 from Seattle to Everett. Smith eventually exited the highway, reversed direction, and sped southbound, prompting troopers to employ a PIT maneuver to halt the vehicle.
Officers apprehended Smith at the scene, where he refused to provide his identity, though troopers discovered his driver's license during a search. The arrest report noted, "A trooper searched him on scene and found two glass pipes with dark looking tar burned residue," and Smith later admitted to smoking meth earlier.
Smith remains detained at the King County Jail, awaiting further legal proceedings.
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