POULSBO — A driver on the Hood Canal Bridge called 911 on July 28, after an encounter with someone they thought was a law enforcement officer.
The 21-year-old Poulsbo man was arrested on charges of criminal impersonation and unlawful carrying of a weapon. He has been booked into the Kitsap County Jail with bail set at $45,000.
He was arrested shortly after Kitsap County dispatchers received a call around 1:40 a.m., July 28, reporting that a driver of a Ford F250 truck tried to pull them over. The truck was flashing red and blue lights. The caller pulled over on the bridge, in response to the flashing lights. But the truck sped on ahead, and soon ran a red light at the intersection of State Route 3 and Highway 104, according to Washington State Patrol.
The caller was able to catch the license plate number on the truck and called it in.
Local law enforcement was notified and within 15 minutes a truck matching the caller’s description was spotted on Highway 305 in Poulsbo. “The suspect’s night went downhill” at that point, according to Washington State Patrol.
Troopers allegedly discovered a loaded Heckler & Koch .40 caliber pistol under the driver’s seat in the truck, as well as red and blue lights behind the passenger’s seat. The press release notes that the suspect does not have a concealed weapons permit to carry the gun.
The suspect allegedly admitted to troopers that he used the emergency lights on the bridge because the vehicle in front of him was traveling too slow. He also reportedly admitted to running the red light so the driver in the other vehicle could not follow and report him, according to Washington State Patrol. The suspect then said that he removed the lights from his truck because “he knew his actions were stupid,” according to Washington State Patrol.
The suspect also allegedly admitted to a similar incident on July 25 in Silverdale. A driver on State Route 3 reported to 911 dispatchers that a truck, matching the description and license plate number of the suspect’s, attempted to pull them over with flashing lights. The driver pulled over onto Kitsap Mall Boulevard but the truck reportedly sped past the driver and also ran a red light, according to Washington State Patrol.
