Chehalis police arrested a man Sunday after he allegedly tried to remove a gun from his waistband during a traffic stop.
Alexander W. Vanduren, 36, of Olympia, faces three counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and one count of possessing a stolen firearm. Each count is considered a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
Vanduren made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday. A judge set bail at $50,000 cash or bond.
According to a probable cause affidavit, police responded to Zen Ramen and Sushi Burrito after a woman called to report a verbal dispute with Vanduren.
“The dispatcher notified responding officers that Vanduren has been identified as an officer safety threat and extreme caution should be used when approaching,” prosecutors wrote in the affidavit.
The dispatcher told police the woman and Vanduren were associated with a black Honda Accord. Officers arrived to find the Accord had already left the restaurant parking lot.
The officers pulled the Accord over near Northwest Front Street and West Main Street. The woman sat in the driver’s seat, Vanduren in the front passenger seat.
One of the officers told Vanduren to step out of the car. Vanduren did so, but then allegedly refused to follow further commands and resisted being detained.
According to the affidavit, officers saw Vanduren make “multiple attempts to reach into his
waistband” to remove an object, despite being told “repeatedly” not to do so.
Two officers eventually used their Tasers on Vanduren. According to the affidavit, a firearm fell from Vanduren’s jeans. Officers grabbed the gun, handcuffed Vanduren and placed him in a WRAP restraint system. They then learned the gun was reported stolen out of Tumwater.
The officers booked Vanduren in the Lewis County Jail at about 6:50 p.m Sunday. He is scheduled for an arraignment on Thursday.
