Community Police & Fire

Gig Harbor Police Blotter | Officers chase suspect in burglary, car prowls

Editor’s note: The Blotter is written based on information provided by Gig Harbor Police , Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.

Gig Harbor officers pursued a suspect in a series of burglaries and vehicle prowls on Feb. 22, but gave up the chase for safety reasons.

The two were suspected of break-ins in the Gig Harbor North area on Feb. 15, 16 and 17.

Around 4 a.m. Feb 22, neighbors saw two men walking down Apollo Way, checking to see if car doors were locked. The witnesses provided only vague descriptions.

Officers arrived in the area and spoke with a man in a white Volkswagon Jetta, before he sped away. The other suspect apparently fled on foot. Officers pursued the vehicle on to Burnham Drive, but discontinued the chase when the fleeing suspect started going 70 mph on the busy commercial thoroughfare.

Police believe the same suspects prowled cars in that neighborhood a few days before. In at least one case, they broke into a car and used its garage door opener to gain access to an occupied home.

Suspect proves to be an angry drunk

Police arrested a 39-year-old Port Orchard man after he drove his car into a ditch near the corner of Alpenglow Way and Burnham Drive early on the morning of Feb. 25.

The suspect repeatedly berated both police officers and nurses and staff at St. Anthony Hospital during the interaction.

Police responded to single-vehicle collision at about 12:15 a.m. that day. They found a vehicle in a ditch.

Aid crews from Gig Harbor Fire checked the man and deemed that he needed no further medical attention. He insisted on going to St. Anthony anyway.  Officers, who believed the man had been driving drunk, followed the ambulance there.

The man called officers “f_____ idiots” and other names, insisted they had no right to arrest him and promised to get them fired. He also ranted at the medical staff attempting to help him.

He refused all DUI tests and appeared to pass out while the officers were completing their paperwork. They cited him for DUI and left him at St. Anthony.

Lewd conduct

A 911 caller reported seeing a man performing a sexual act on himself at 4:20 p.m. Feb. 28 at Crescent Creek Park on Vernhardson Drive. The caller told 911 operators that the man was in an older Ford pickup, watching women play pickleball on courts at the park.

Police located the man. After checking records based on his license plate, they learned that his drivers license was suspended and he was required to use an ignition interlock device, which wasn’t installed. Officers arrested him and cited him for driving with a suspended license, then released him. 

 Accidental discharge of firearm

A 45-year-old Port Orchard man accidentally fired a gun inside a room at a hotel on Kimball Drive on Feb. 25.

The man told police he was attempting to unload his Glock 42 inside the room when he accidentally fired it into the floor. Nobody was injured. His wife and young child were in the room with him. 

Officers checked the weapon, recovered the discharged bullet and shell casing and filed an informational report.