Man Arrested When Chase Ends In Post Falls

A Spokane man who made death threats and stole a cup of coffee was arrested early Tuesday after a high-speed chase from Medical Lake to Post Falls.

Leon J. Swett, 36, was arrested on charges of eluding police after the chase on Interstate 90 in which speeds topped 120 mph, the Washington State Patrol said.

About 3 a.m., a man threatened an Eastern State Hospital security guard, then drove to an unidentified Medical Lake gas station and threatened to kill the store clerk and any police officer who tried to stop him, the State Patrol said.

The suspect then stole a cup of coffee and left.

Minutes later, sheriff’s Deputy Dale Golman spotted the car, a 1994 Camaro convertible, eastbound on Interstate 90.

The deputy tried to stop the car, but it continued eastbound.

At the Thor-Freya interchange, Deputy Brett Pierson was parked near the on-ramp as the car approached and swerved from the left lane into the right shoulder in an apparent attempt to strike Pierson’s car, the State Patrol said. The deputy backed up to avoid a collision.

Then, state troopers joined the chase. At the state line, the State Patrol used spikes to stop the car.

The right front tire was flattened and the driver took the first Post Falls exit. The man stopped the car at a gas station and ran inside, the State Patrol said.

After the suspect refused to cooperate with a Post Falls police officer, a trooper sprayed pepper spray through a side door of the store.

At that point the suspect was taken into custody without further incident.

, DataTimes