A gun brandished and a pitbull sticking his head out the window is what a man allegedly saw after a dispute at a fuel pump.
On June 1, Federal Way police responded to a report of threats involving a weapon at the intersection of South 348th Street and Pacific Highway South. The incident began with a dispute over fuel pump usage at the Tahoma gas station in Fife and escalated to an alleged brandishing of a firearm.
The victim, who is a resident of Federal Way, reported that a male in his 50s or 60s, driving a white Saturn with a Washington license plate, had pointed a silver handgun at him. The victim also noted a pitbull dog was in the suspect’s vehicle. The altercation allegedly began when the suspect threatened the victim as the victim was exiting his vehicle to pump gas. The victim said that was when the suspect told him, “Pull out of the gas pump, or I’ll beat your ass.” The victim then told the suspect to calm down and that it seemed silly that he was so upset over a gas pump, according to a report from the Federal Way Police Department.
The victim said that after fueling, he drove north on Pacific Highway South, and then, while at the intersection of Pacific Highway South and South 348th Street, the suspect pulled up beside him. The victim said that was when the suspect pointed a silver handgun at him, then the victim slammed on his brakes. The victim said he feared for his life and believed the suspect intended to shoot him.
The victim reported the incident to the police, and subsequently, while in the 32700 block of Pacific Highway South, an officer located what he believed was the suspect’s white Saturn sedan and initiated a traffic stop on South 325th Street. The suspect, who is a resident of Seatac, exited his vehicle after pulling over and complied when the arresting officer told him to put his hands up and was arrested without incident, according to documents.
The suspect’s dog, “King,” was taken to the Tacoma Humane Society. After being arrested, the suspect immediately informed officers that he had a gun in his car. He was read his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with the officers, confirming that the firearm was under the driver’s seat, according to the report. During a search, an investigating officer found what appeared to be methamphetamine in a folded dollar bill in the suspect’s right sock. The suspected drugs were booked for destruction.
The report said the suspect exhibited signs of potential drug influence as he was in and out of consciousness. Officers asked him if the drugs he had used had fentanyl, and he said possibly. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital for evaluation and later discharged. The suspect was then booked into King County Jail.
The following day, a search warrant was executed on the suspect’s vehicle, and a loaded silver and black Springfield XD 40 handgun was found under the driver’s seat. The officer found a bullet in the chamber and bullets in the magazine of the gun. The suspect was found to have some criminal history in California, but none in Washington.
The report said officers reviewed Safe City Federal Way camera footage and observed that on Pacific Highway South near South 352nd Street, what appeared to be the suspect’s vehicle pulled up next to the victim’s vehicle, and then, the victim’s vehicle suddenly trailed far behind the suspect’s vehicle. The report stated that an investigating officer submitted a felony filing packet recommending a charge of assault in the second degree, which was submitted to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
