Pierce County Deputies Rescue Car Thieves from Puyallup River

Two young car thieves are lucky to be alive after trying to run from police into a river!

Daring but Dumb River Escape Ends with Arrests After Tacoma Car Chase

In a dramatic turn of events yesterday (July 24, 2024), Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies successfully arrested two young car thief suspects after a high-stakes vehicle chase and river rescue. The incident began when deputies located a stolen vehicle in Tacoma. After the deputies tried to pull over the suspects, the vehicle fled and led to a pursuit that ended in the river behind a Fred Meyer store in Puyallup.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, the suspects abandoned their car in the store’s parking lot and made a swift escape by jumping into the nearby Puyallup River. The daring but stupid attempt to evade capture failed almost immediately with one suspect barely managing to climb out of the water, with the second having to be rescued by Swiftwater Deputies. Parts of the dramatic rescue were captured and shared in the video released on X, showing the scene of the intense sequence of events.

Pierce County Sheriff's Release Video Footage of the Scene

The video begins with footage of the parking lot where deputies are seen handcuffing the first suspect and then transitions to scenes of the river where the suspects had attempted their escape. The video also includes images of the suspects, now wet and sitting near a Washington State Patrol car, and concludes with one suspect standing with an orange “Sheriff” life preserver, worn after being rescued from the river.

The successful capture of these young thieves without injury shows the coordinated effort between Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies and Swiftwater rescue teams. The swift actions of the law enforcement officers ensured that both suspects were apprehended safely, and the situation was resolved without further incident or drowning. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office commended their deputies and rescue teams for their quick and effective response, noting the sudden and challenging conditions of the chase and rescue. The suspects now face multiple charges related to the stolen vehicle and their attempts to evade arrest.