A 72-year-old Centralia man was booked into the Thurston County Jail early Sunday morning after authorities say he led police on a car chase starting in Thurston County and ending in Centralia.
Darryl W. Whalen was arrested on suspicion of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and giving false information to officers.
Centralia Police Officer Ruben Ramirez said Chehalis Tribal Police and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office were the primary responding agencies in the pursuit. A representative from Chehalis Tribal Police did not return a request for comment by press time, and a TCSO contact was unavailable for comment by press time.
Ramirez said Whalen at some point stopped for officers attempting to pull him over and then took off again. He was apprehended when his vehicle hit stop strips set out on the road by Centralia officers assisting TCSO and Chehalis Tribal Police.
Video and social media posts regarding the incident indicate the fleeing vehicle was seen doing multiple laps around Centralia’s downtown district, driving up and down Tower Avenue and Pearl Street with multiple police vehicles in pursuit.
