A man who allegedly fled from Napavine police officers in a stolen vehicle while possibly under the influence of narcotics on Sunday was charged with four separate felonies in Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday.
The pursuit began after a Napavine officer noticed that a 1996 Honda Civic parked at the gas pumps at the Eagle Truck Stop lacked a front license plate, according to court documents. The officer noted the sole occupant of the vehicle was a man in the driver’s seat, later identified as Larry E. Smith Jr., 36, of Tacoma.
Smith was reportedly “dropping his head down to his chin and closing his eyes,” which the officer said was common behavior of someone who may have consumed narcotics.
The officer kept an eye on the vehicle and watched it eventually leave the truck stop only to stop for several seconds at a stop sign, despite the lack of traffic, and fail to signal a left turn and a merge onto the southbound Interstate 5 onramp.
At that point, the officer turned on his emergency lights and attempted to stop the vehicle based on suspicion of a DUI, according to court documents.
Smith allegedly sped up to 80 to 90 mph on I-5, “weaving in and out of traffic (and) leaving little to no room between his vehicle and other motorists,” according to court documents.
Due to Smith’s alleged unsafe driving, the Napavine officer terminated the pursuit but continued to loosely follow the Honda Civic into Cowlitz County.
Washington State Patrol troopers ultimately deployed stop sticks and successfully deflated the tires on the Honda Civic, causing the passenger side of the vehicle to begin emitting sparks.
Deputies with the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office began pursuing the Honda Civic and eventually performed a PIT maneuver to disable the vehicle, according to court documents.
Smith was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 3:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 16.
Upon Smith’s arrest, law enforcement learned the Honda Civic had been reported stolen out of Tacoma, according to court documents.
Smith reportedly told law enforcement “he bought the vehicle from OfferUp for $200 but did not get a key, bill of sale or title to the vehicle,” according to court documents. Smith also allegedly admitted to smoking meth about two hours prior to driving, but confirmation of any drugs in his system is pending the results of a blood draw.
The Napavine officer obtained and executed a search warrant for the vehicle the following day, which yielded a Wesson M&P 9mm handgun with a magazine containing nine bullets near the front driver’s seat.
Smith’s criminal history disqualifies him from owning or possessing a firearm, and law enforcement later confirmed the firearm had been reported stolen, according to court documents. Drug paraphernalia and “suspected controlled substances” were located in the backseat.
Smith was charged Tuesday with one count each of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm.
A judge set Smith’s bail at $20,000 during a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
His next scheduled court appearance is an arraignment hearing set for Thursday, Jan. 19.
