Drugs, money and an unexpected visit from Dad: WSP investigating local rapper after high-speed chase through Deer Park

A local SoundCloud rapper led a Washington State Patrol trooper on a high-speed chase through Deer Park in November that ended when the suspect lost control of his car and drove into a field.

But the incident became more complicated when the suspect, Ramsey Azar, 25, did not immediately comply with the trooper’s commands at gunpoint and a standoff ensued, according to court records.

Authorities then recovered large amounts of drugs from Azar’s car and, for reasons not immediately clear, his father showed up at the scene, records say.

The trooper first spotted Azar’s car when it passed him in the oncoming lane with its high beams on, according to court records. The trooper tried to perform a traffic stop, but the car sped off, traveling 70 to 80 mph in residential areas and blowing through intersections.

When Azar’s car became disabled in a field, the trooper wrote, Azar’s actions were “erratic and well beyond what a reasonable citizen would be doing when being contacted by law enforcement.” Azar told the trooper he had done nothing wrong and was going to his father’s house, court records say.

At one point, Azar ran out of view to the passenger side of his vehicle and the trooper took cover behind his car, according to court records. Then the trooper saw Azar entering the rear of his vehicle and gave him multiple commands to show his hands, which Azar ignored.

Azar eventually emerged with two brown bags and ran through a field toward a building, court records say.

The trooper got back into his car and drove down the roadway to keep Azar in view, records say. Azar went into a thicket of trees and shrubs, becoming hidden at points, and would not come out until other troopers arrived as backup.

Troopers found two loaded guns on Azar when they arrested him, court records say. Troopers said his speech was slurred, he smelled of marijuana and his eyes were bloodshot.

One trooper then located the two brown bags Azar had taken from his car in the field, according to court records. One bag, which had a plastic bag sticking out of it with a large amount of marijuana in plain view inside, contained more than a pound of the drug in it, about 16 times the amount people are allowed to possess in Washington.

Azar’s father then unexpectedly showed up at the scene, claiming Azar was “a nice boy,” court records say. He added that Azar had been in and out of rehab due to issues with addiction, but legally grows marijuana and uses it and other prescription drugs to treat mental health issues.

Troopers said in court records they were concerned about why Azar’s father arrived. No trooper had called him; one noted the father seemed more concerned about Azar’s property than his well-being.

When troopers searched the brown bags Azar had dropped in the field, they found 200 grams of an unknown white powder, a bag of blue pills and several prescription bottles of mixed pills with Azar’s name on them. They also recovered five codeine/promethazine cough syrup containers without prescription labels, a digital scale coated in a green substance and nearly $65,000 in cash.

Azar was initially arrested on charges of reckless driving, eluding police, driving under the influence and felony drug possession with intent to distribute, but he was not arraigned because Spokane County prosecutors did not file documents with the Superior Court, according to court records.

Troopers requested a new search warrant in early January.

Trooper Jeff Sevigney, a WSP spokesman, said the incident is still under investigation.