Chase Suspect Dumps Gun, Pants, During Pursuit–Then Captured
Pasco police and Washington State Troopers were busy Wednesday night running down a wanted suspect, who must have thought he'd move faster without pants.
State Troopers began to chase an Alero (car) in Kennewick, for reasons not yet released. The driver refused to pull over, and the chase ended up over the Blue Bridge after which time WSP tried a pit maneuver to derail the suspect. Pasco police joined the chase on I-182, and it ended near Road 100. Near Heathrow and Westminster streets, the suspect bailed out of their car and with K-9 Hapo in pursuit began to jump fence after fence.
Because the dog couldn't jump that high, the trail was lost, but police did find a pair of pants in the 5400 block of Pickadilly, then a loaded pistol in the 8600 block of Packard (also along the chase route). The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Nelson Giovanni Meija Jr, was finally located near Westminster and Kingsbury where he was taken into custody with help from K-9 Hapo who was with officers the whole chase.
The WSP is handling the case, and took possession of the evidence and suspect. He is obviously facing multiple charges stemming from just the chase.