Suspects claim baby on board during police pursuit through Bucoda, Tenino, Rainier

A driver and his passenger, believed to have been involved in several Lacey and Olympia thefts, claimed that they had a baby on board while being chased by police.

Law enforcement later discovered that there was no child in the vehicle after Lewis County authorities pursued their vehicle for second-degree robbery on Monday, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

Law enforcement conducted a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver, used by law enforcement to force a fleeing vehicle to come to a stop by abruptly turning it 180 degrees, but was unable to stop the driver.

They stopped their pursuit after the driver called 911 demanding a stop to the chase, claiming that he and his passenger had a baby in the car.

A Thurston County unit later spotted the vehicle near the county line, but did not observe a baby inside, only the suspects. Deputies initiated a second pursuit of the vehicle, passing through Bucoda, Tenino, and Rainier. Their attempts to stop the vehicle were also unsuccessful.

While deputies were moving into position for attempting another PIT maneuver, the driver called 911 again to call for an end to the pursuit due to the supposed baby in their car. A Thurston County sergeant told the suspects to surrender or be chased, but the suspects continued to flee.

Another PIT maneuver successfully halted the vehicle just outside Rainier to prevent the vehicle from reaching the populated area of Yelm.

The driver refused to exit his vehicle, prompting authorities to break open his window using a bean bag round, a less lethal police tool.

The driver became cooperative after the window was broken open. No child was found inside the car.

Lewis County authorities arrived at the scene and took custody of the individuals, who are believed to have been involved in a number of thefts in Lacey and Olympia, and may have previously fled from law enforcement.