Sheriff lambasts legislation as he, deputies become embroiled in car chases

The Thurston County Sheriff expressed his dismay on crime-related legislation in a Friday social media post showing him participating in a car chase.

"The cancerous mentality fostered by Washington state's 2021 pursuit legislation is still in full effect, as agencies across our state continue to see vehicles fleeing because state law emboldens them to do so at the expense of everyone else’s safety,” Sheriff Sanders stated. ”These are the type of people doing whatever they want in your community with impunity."

RCW 10.116.060  limits the provisions where law enforcement officers may engage in a vehicular pursuit.

Sheriff Derek Sanders became involved in a car chase Friday, February 23, with a black BMW driving dangerously along Martin Way E.

As shown in a video released by Sanders, the vehicle had been spotted speeding. The video shows the vehicle appears to be cutting off cars and even brake-checking fellow motorists.

"When I activated my emergency lights on College Street SE, the vehicle accelerated to approximately 120 mph and began weaving through traffic and blowing the red lights at triple digits," Sheriff Sanders stated.

The BMW plunged into neighborhoods in Lacey, its driver blacking out the vehicle's lights in an attempt to evade capture.

According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO), The vehicle was registered to a felon convicted with charges including robbery with a deadly weapon and drug trafficking dealing with methamphetamine or meth, alongside an active domestic violence order.

While TCSO was chasing the BMW, the Yelm Police Department encountered a fleeing vehicle. At the same time, just hours prior, the Olympia Police Department dealt with another vehicle attempting to evade a traffic stop for theft.