Exchange of gunfire in Tacoma leads to chase, 2 arrests. Was it tied to drug trade?

TACOMA – Police working in an area known for drug sales Thursday afternoon in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood arrested two people after gunfire was exchanged between vehicles and suspects fled north on Interstate 5.

Officers were monitoring the area of 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, near People’s Park, because nearby businesses had complained of recent drug sales, according to Tacoma Police Department spokesperson detective William Muse. He said the operation was focused on dealers and suppliers. At about 5:45 p.m., about 15 gunshots were reportedly fired between two vehicles, Muse said.

Officers tried to apprehend the people in both vehicles. One eluded them, and police pursued the other northbound onto Interstate 5.

The suspects reportedly fled at high speed, and they bailed out of their vehicle near the 4300 block of 261st Street in Kent, Muse said.

A 19-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy were taken into custody with the assistance of the Washington State Patrol and the King County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman was booked into Pierce County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault and drive-by shooting, according to police. Muse said the boy was booked into Remann Hall, the county’s juvenile detention center, for investigation of the same offenses.

A man later arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound that wasn’t life-threatening, Muse said.

He said police believe he was involved in the shooting, but he wouldn’t cooperate with officers.

No one else was reported injured. A handgun was recovered near the scene of the shooting.