The chase ended on the Lummi Peninsula as he started a second loop around and a PIT maneuver sent the vehicle into the ditch.
Yesterday around 5:45pm, a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled over a vehicle in the 2000 block of Marine Drive (near Ferndale Road). The driver refused to show his identification or communicate with deputies.
According to Sheriff Bill Elfo in a news release,
Deputies had information that the subject’s driver’s license was suspended, and that he was wanted on outstanding warrants to include a fugitive warrant out of Illinois for aggravated assault. The subject has also been booked into the Whatcom County Jail on previous occasions in 2016.
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The driver, according to Elfo, “suddenly and without warning accelerated and sped away, nearly striking deputies with his vehicle.”
Deputies gave chase and alerted Lummi Police who joined in the high-speed pursuit. Elfo said in a news release, “several attempts were made to intervene and stop the suspect vehicle using spike strips and PIT maneuvers (Pursuit Intervention Technique).”
The pursuit began westbound on Marine Drive and headed south on Lummi Shore Road. The driver made a loop west on Smokehouse Road, north on Haxton Way, east on Cagey Road and south again on Lummi Shore Road. After returning westbound on Smokehouse Road, a PIT maneuver was successful at stopping the vehicle.
According the news release,
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Click for more informationFor over ten miles the suspect aggressively avoided attempts to disable or trap his vehicle by swerving across the roadway, accelerating and braking, and changing lanes. A PIT maneuver was finally successful in the 3000 block of Smokehouse Road. The suspect vehicle went into a ditch and rolled onto its side. The driver fled the vehicle and a short foot pursuit with police canine ensued before he was taken into custody at [6:07pm]. The suspect physically struck one deputy during the arrest, causing minor injury.
The suspect was identified as Robert Ezell Little, age 25, of Bellingham.
Little was booked into the Whatcom County Jail for,
- Attempting to elude a police vehicle
- Assault 3rd degree on an officer
- Resisting arrest
- Obstructing a law enforcement officer
- 3rd degree driving while license suspended
Little also had outstanding warrants for,
- Failure to appear for the charge of 4th degree assault
- Failure to appear for the charge of 3rd degree theft
- Failure to appear for the charge of 2nd degree assault
- Fugitive from justice
Jail records indicate Little remained in custody as of the time this article was posted, (3:45pm).