Kent Police arrest man after vehicle pursuit up West Hill

Published 2:50 pm Monday, March 23, 2026

Kent Police arrested a 45-year-old Kent man for investigation of several charges after a vehicle pursuit early Monday morning, March 23 from the Valley to the West Hill.

At about 1:38 a.m., an officer saw a Saturn Aura reportedly speeding and recklessly driving westbound on East Smith Street near State Avenue North, according to a March 23 Kent Police Facebook post.

The officer attempted to pull the driver over, but the vehicle quickly sped away, according to police. A pursuit began up Kent Des Moines Road towards the West Hill. The officer anticipated the driver might attempt to get onto Interstate 5 and would need to slow down in the process.

As the Saturn turned to head northbound, the officer performed a successful precision immobilization technique (PIT), causing the car to come to a stop on the curb, according to police.

The man leaped out of the car before it came to a complete stop. He reportedly was aggressive, screaming and appeared to be looking for a place to run, according to police. He allegedly refused commands, took a fighting stance and yelled at officers. He was wearing a backpack and officers thought a weapon might be within reach.

Following multiple attempts to gain compliance, he was tasered, still fought the officers, but was finally taken into custody, according to police. After the struggle, he was put into a recovery position and Puget Sound Fire arrived to medically evaluate him. He reportedly was uncooperative with them as well, but was cleared for booking.

The backpack he was wearing at the time of the arrest reportedly contained a loaded Glock 40 with an extended high-capacity magazine, many small bags that contained illegal drugs including 30-40 grams of meth, and hundreds of fentanyl pills, according to police. There were also scales, and money in denominations consistent with drug distribution.

Officers could also reportedly see the foregrip of a rifle in between the front seats of the man’s car. The vehicle was impounded to await a search warrant to retrieve remaining items.

Due to the man’s prior felony convictions, officers arrested him for possession of a firearm, eluding and intent to distribute narcotics. Additional charges may arise if the firearms are determined to be stolen.

A passenger in the suspect vehicle, a 47-year-old Kent man, was booked on an Auburn warrant for possession of a controlled substance and reckless burning, according to police.

One arresting officer sustained a pulled shoulder during the struggle, according to police.