Pierce County Sheriff’s Department announcement.
Last Thursday, Jan. 5, deputies with our Special Investigations Unit teamed up with Department of Corrections officers to arrest a violent felony offender who had an outstanding warrant for escape from community custody.
Deputies spotted the suspect outside a residence in the 5900 block of Portland Ave E in Tacoma and moved in to arrest him. As they approached, the suspect ran. One of the deputies grabbed the puffy jacket that the suspect was wearing, but the suspect was able to wiggle out of the jacket. After a struggle, the suspect was taken into custody.
One of the deputies picked up the suspect’s jacket and noticed it was unusually heavy. In one of the pockets, the deputy found a loaded pistol with a round in the chamber. The suspect denied that the jacket was his; however, deputies located his social security card and debit card in the jacket. They also found $400 cash and 4.7 grams of meth. The suspect told the deputies he was going to get a life sentence if he was caught with the gun, and he asked them several times to get rid of it.
The 38-year-old suspect was booked into jail for his DOC warrant and for the gun.
Prosecutors reviewed the deputies’ reports and body-worn cameras and subsequently charged the suspect with unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree and obstructing an officer.
The suspect has 20 felony convictions, including: possession of stolen property, theft, eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of a firearm, and residential burglary. He also has 9 gross misdemeanor convictions and has had 15 cases where bench warrants were issued.
At arraignment, he pleaded not guilty, and the court commissioner (judge) set his bail at $5,000.
At the scene, the suspect’s girlfriend told him she would post his bail once it was set.
So for all those different criminal charges. His bail was only $5000.00? For that you know he will offend sgain and soon.
First thing that came to my mind! What a joke
What a damn joke, what kind of crap is that? Get a bail bond for $500 and walks? When he was an escapee already from community custody?! This is insanity!
Makes you wonder who he knows high up there. This is insaine
Our justice system is a bad joke!
What on earth was that judge thinking??!!! Only
$5,000!!! THATS REDICULOUS !!!! By asking the officers to get rid of the gun that he was in possession of, and he knew the consequnces of that offence!! And now, if his girlfriend posted bail for him, he’s back out in the community doing the same thing. Yep!! Makes a lot of sense to me. NOPE!!
It’s so sad that our Law Officers risk their lives to arrest a person like this who is carrying a loaded weapon plus who has several past felony convictions for a judge to set such a lenient bail . The individual will more or likely be back out on the street before the officers.
Just does not make sense!!
That is so true, back on the street to do more harm, whats next? A life? Doesn’t make sense to me at all. He’s had his fair share of second chances.
The justice system is a joke pampering these scumbags
I have to agree with Joyce and Diana. $5,000 bail for this felon is a joke. It makes it easy for his girlfriend to bail him out so he can rob, injure and kill other victims including law enforcement who will have to deal with him again and again under Washington State’s soft on crime system.
If the bail system gave the judge no discretion, than we need to fix the bail system, in an effort to keep this menace to society locked up and thereby protect society including the judge.
In my opinion, if the judge had a choice, bail should have been $100,000 cash since this felon has a no show with 15 bench warrants record.
While it is my wish that no one be victimized, if the judge elected to be soft on crime for a untruthful multiple felony offender with illegal possession of a gun, than may the first victim in our society be the judge instead of some innocent victim who has no control over preventing crime by serving up common sense and appropriate bail consequences.
Joseph Boyle – Former Crime Fighter
And Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s answer to this: legalize drugs and disarm law-abiding citizens. Decriminalize vagrancy, vandalism, pan-handling, public intoxication, littering, and all that goes with addiction and street-living.
Let’s fast-forward to where we will be if this continues…..
Not looking good.
That day is fast-approaching.
Wake up Washington before it’s too late.
What happened to 3 strikes?
Being as it only takes 10% of the actual bail amount to get out of jail this person was very likely booked and out on the streets terrorizing citizens within hours. That is disgusting and unacceptable.
It’s great for delivery services though as I’m sure that I’m not the only one paying them instead of risking my life and property to go shopping.
If something isn’t done soon about crime and the homeless things are going to continue to escalate, and likely get really ugly. There will be more incidents of normally law abiding citizens becoming vigilante such as with the person recently who shot and killed the “alleged” mail thief, who it just so happens had bailed out of jail just hours prior to his death.
LAW…..
(1) a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority
(2) the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules, ordinarily brought to bear by the courts which exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law.
(3) the control brought about by the existence or enforcement of such law
Now….the key words in these definitions is ENFORCE and APPLY. If EITHER of these words fail to be enacted, WHAT IS THE POINT of ANY LAW?
The very first sentence of the article states a warrant from Department of Corrections was being served for escape. Bailing out of Pierce County Jail wont help this guy at all. That bail amount is only for the new charges. There is no bail for felony escape from DOC. Understand the system, then criticize it.
So, you’re saying the guy is still in jail?
This is not malfeasance, or an accident. This is the result of careful planning to destroy the nation. It is happening everywhere, in the major cities this is quite common, In WA, it is Statewide by the laws written by the Democrat controlled House/Congress. in Olympia.