SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane police apprehended a shooting suspect after a car chase in the Hillyard neighborhood, late Wednesday night.
The Spokane Police department recently made the decision to change its criteria for initiating car chases.
In this case "the serious and violent nature of the charges, coupled with the continued threat [the suspect] posed to public safety" caused police to participate in the chase, according to Spokane Police Cpl. Nick Briggs.
The suspect, River Hewson, 29, was wanted for a shooting that took place on Nov. 25. He was believed to be armed at the time of his arrest, according to Briggs.
Police made contact with the suspect late Wednesday night when Hewson fled the scene at "high speeds" through North Spokane, Briggs said.
The chase came to an end when the suspect lost control of his vehicle and collided with three parked vehicles, one SPD patrol vehicle, and two residential fences. At that point Hewson was taken into custody, according to Briggs.
Spokane police explained officers balance the need to for immediate apprehension of the suspect with the "inherent risks to public safety associated with arrest methods such as vehicle pursuits."
The following video is dash cam footage of a driver hitting a power pole in Moses Lake, bringing the power lines down on a police car.