Bail Set At $100K for Winlock Man Accused of Threatening to Kill Woman, Crashing Into Patrol Car While Drunk

Posted

A man accused of threatening to kill a woman with a firearm and a tomahawk in Winlock, fleeing in a vehicle while drunk and ramming into a patrol car before he was arrested Monday night is now facing multiple felonies in Lewis County Superior Court.

Judge James Lawler set bail for the man, identified as Nathan Dwayne Neyland, 43, of Winlock, at $100,000 during a preliminary hearing on Wednesday. 

The incident began when Neyland allegedly got into an argument with the alleged victim inside a Toledo residence. Neyland reportedly “started throwing cheese around the kitchen” before he allegedly slapped the victim in the face, shoved her into a refrigerator, “got a gun out of his pocket and held it against her throat,” according to court documents. Neyland then allegedly “told her that if she didn’t calm down, he was going to kill her and them himself.” Both Neyland and the victim reportedly calmed down, according to the victim, but Neyland then allegedly “said he was going to kill her with a tomahawk,” went inside and came back out with a tomahawk, according to court documents. 

The victim then fled to a neighbor’s house for help. The neighbor, who noted the alleged victim “was bleeding from around her nose,” called the police. 

Deputies with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the neighbor’s call just before 9:45 p.m. on March 27. While the deputies were on the way, dispatch informed them Neyland had left the scene in a GMC Yukon. 

Neyland reportedly called the alleged victim while deputies were present, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Over the phone, deputies noted, “He sounded intoxicated and told the victim if he pulled over for law enforcement he would be arrested for DUI,” according to the sheriff’s office.

An officer with the Napavine Police Department reportedly located the Yukon, which was “swerving in its lane,” in the 400 block of Birch Avenue Southwest and attempted to stop the vehicle. The Yukon did not stop, however, and reportedly “cross(ed) the center and flog lines as it continued to swerve” on southbound Highway 603 back toward the location of the initial assault in Winlock. 

Deputies successfully deployed a set of “stop sticks” when the Yukon passed the scene of the initial assault but the vehicle did not stop, according to the sheriff’s office. 

The Yukon reportedly traveled through Winlock toward Toledo. 

A deputy ultimately initiated a PIT maneuver, a pursuit tactic in which a pursuing car rams into the back of a fleeing car and forces it to abruptly turn sideways, as the Yukon attempted to turn onto Henriot Road in Toledo. The maneuver was successful but the Yukon reportedly continued to try and drive away, according to court documents. The Napavine officer reportedly “put his patrol car in the path of the Yukon and stopped,” but the Yukon allegedly “drove head-on” into the Napavine patrol vehicle. 

The collision caused “significant damage” and immobilized the Yukon, according to the sheriff’s office. 



Even so, Neyland allegedly refused to get out of the car when ordered by law enforcement. “The officers had to break the Yukon’s window and forcibly remove Nathan (Neyland),” according to court documents. 

Neyland allegedly continued to resist arrest after he was removed from the vehicle. 

Law enforcement reportedly found several pocket knives and a .38 caliber revolver on Neyland’s person when he was arrested. There were reportedly two AR-15-type rifles “in open view” in the back of the Yukon at the time of Neyland’s arrest. 

When asked by an officer if he had been drinking, Neyland allegedly said, “Duh.” Law enforcement reportedly noted signs of impairment on Neyland, including slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. 

Neyland was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of multiple “bleeding injuries on his head and hands” before he was booked into the Lewis County Jail. While he was at the hospital, Neyland allegedly said “he was ‘running from the cops for joy, but you guys took it too far,’” according to court documents. 

A blood draw was taken while Neyland was at the hospital. The results of that blood draw were pending as of Wednesday afternoon. 

Neyland was booked into the Lewis County Jail just before 4:10 a.m. on March 28. He has since been charged with one count each of domestic violence second-degree assault, domestic violence fourth-degree assault, domestic violence felony harassment, second-degree assault and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle. 

While Neyland had only one 2001 incident on his criminal record, Lawler said Wednesday, “I do think that you are a threat to community safety based on the facts alleged here.”

Lawler also approved a no-contact order protecting the alleged victim. 

Neyland’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for Thursday, April 6.