Rasheed J. Tucker makes his first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Thursday.
A Tacoma man was arrested Wednesday after a series of disturbances in the Centralia area, alleged threats made to a Centralia Police Officer and an attempted assault against Lewis County Sheriff’s deputies using an improvised weapon.
Rasheed J. Tucker, 40, was charged Thursday in Lewis County Superior Court with harassment of a criminal justice participant, second-degree assault and possession of a weapon by a prisoner.
Superior Court Judge James Lawler ordered Tucker held on 250,000 bail, in accordance with a request from the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.
“This could have been a lot worse,” said deputy prosecutor Joe Bassetti. “Luckily no one was killed in this case.”
According to court documents, on Wednesday evening, a Centralia police officer responded to the 200 block of North Railroad Avenue in Centralia after receiving a report that a man, later identified as Tucker, had locked himself in the train’s bathroom.
“Tucker was stating the cartel was trying to kill him and that he needed to get to Pierce County,” according to court documents.
The officer drove Tucker to the local Greyhound stop, where Tucker reportedly walked into a nearby restaurant and again locked himself in a bathroom.
The same officer responded, and when Tucker asked to be taken to the hospital, the officer drove him to Providence Centralia Hospital.
There, Tucker locked himself in a third bathroom.
According to court documents, the officer convinced Tucker to leave the bathroom, but Tucker became disruptive and yelled at other patients. The officer arrested tucker on the charge of interfering with a health care facility.
The officer issued Tucker a citation and attempted to release him, due to jail booking restrictions on misdemeanor charges, court documents say. When the officer tried to release Tucker on Mellen Street, Tucker allegedly threatened to beat up the officer and began kicking the back door of the patrol vehicle.
The officer arrested Tucker on suspicion of felony harassment and took him to the Lewis County Jail.
On Thursday, deputies with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office responded to the jail for a report that Tucker had broken a telephone kiosk and made a shiv with a piece of broken glass with fabric wrapped around it for a handle.
The deputies tried to pepper spray Tucker in order to enter his single-occupancy cell safely, but it had no effect, according to court documents.
When deputies opened his door, Tucker allegedly charged them, swiping the knife near one of the deputies. A deputy fired a Taser at Tucker, which also reportedly had no effect.
According to court documents, the deputies were eventually able to subdue Tucker and remove the weapon from his cell.
Tucker’s next court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
