Latest news with #PierceCountySheriff'sOffice
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Runaway car hits Washington business multiple times in DIY tow-job gone very wrong
Surveillance video captured a failed self-tow in University Place, Washington, where a runaway car hit the same storefront multiple times before the would-be towers fled the scene. Pierce County sheriff's deputies were called to Pho and Teriyaki around 6 a.m. on July 30 after reports that a car had plowed into the restaurant. The maroon sedan was no longer inside the building but sat abandoned elsewhere in the same parking lot. An investigation involving the review of surveillance video showed that the driver of the sedan parked near AutoZone in the same strip mall at about 5:45 p.m. the day before the incident. Deputies learned the driver of the vehicle told store employees he would return and tow the vehicle away. At about 3:45 a.m., video shows a white Honda Pilot with a trailer dolly backing up to the broken-down vehicle and attempting to pull it away. 4 The incident was called into the police around 6 a.m. on July 30. Pierce County Sheriff's Office 4 After plowing into the restaurant, the maroon sedan was no longer inside the building, rather abandoned somewhere else in the parking lot. Pierce County Sheriff's Office An hour and a half later, the vehicle was finally pulled from the stall using a tow strap, which snapped once the vehicle was towed to the other end of the parking lot. The driver appeared to try and secure the vehicle again, but things got worse when the strap broke again. After the strap broke a second time, the car started to roll back toward the building and the driver was seen trying to stop the vehicle before it smashed into the restaurant. 4 The sedan had been in the plaza since the evening before the incident. Pierce County Sheriff's Office Undeterred, the driver tried again, nearly reaching the lot's exit before the strap failed a third time, sending the sedan back into the restaurant. On a third attempt, the driver and a female passenger freed the car, steered it toward the exit, then clipped a retaining wall and curb. The suspect ultimately gave up and left the vehicle behind before leaving the scene. 4 According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the crash is being investigated as a hit-and-run. Pierce County Sheriff's Office Fox News Digital has asked the sheriff's office whether any arrests or charges have been made. Still, the restaurant suffered significant damage, the sheriff's office said, and the crash is being investigated as a hit-and-run.
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Newsweek
Neighbor Complaints Lead Cops to Trailer, Not Prepared for What They Find
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Authorities were shocked earlier this week when multiple complaints from alarmed neighbors led them to search a camper trailer in Pierce County, Washington State. Pierce County Animal Control officers and sheriff's deputies responded after receiving several complaints from nearby residents, but when they arrived to search the trailer with a warrant, they weren't prepared for what was inside. When officers entered the home at around 8:30 a.m. on August 5, the almost 30-foot trailer was reportedly "teeming" with 80 cats. "A total of six female cats were nursing litters, and many more female cats are expected to be pregnant. The cats range in age from 3 days old to about 3 years old," Pierce County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Bodycam footage shows the outside of the trailer where the cats were found. Bodycam footage shows the outside of the trailer where the cats were found. Pierce County Sheriff's Office Many of the cats, and especially the youngest kittens, were suffering from flea infestations and upper respiratory infections, making the intervention essential for the animals' health. Veterinarians were on-site to provide immediate care to the most-vulnerable animals, while the rest will undergo thorough medical evaluations in the coming days. Once cleared, the cats will be transferred to The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, where the animals will be made available for adoption. From left: Some of the cats rest inside the trailer; and one of the kittens is seen. From left: Some of the cats rest inside the trailer; and one of the kittens is seen. Pierce County Sheriff's Office What Is Animal Hoarding? Animal hoarding refers to keeping more animals than one can properly care for, despite the hoarder's belief they are helping the animals. While most U.S. states lack laws that specifically address hoarding, the practice is typically prosecuted under general animal cruelty or neglect statutes. Only Illinois and Hawaii have laws that directly criminalize hoarding. In Illinois, The Humane Care for Animals Act defines a "companion animal hoarder." In Hawaii, knowingly or recklessly hoarding animals and failing to provide necessary care is classified as a misdemeanor offense. Across the country, officials including animal control, law enforcement, and public health agents can investigate reports of hoarding, secure seizure warrants, and intervene if conditions are found to be cruel or inhumane. But hoarding isn't always straightforward. A 2020 study looked into 33 people with diagnosed animal-hoarding disorder, a recognized mental disorder. Of these, many suffered with other mental-health issues. Most were older adults, and about three-quarters were women. On average, each person had more than 40 animals, mostly dogs and cats. The researchers used interviews and standard mental-health checklists to assess symptoms. They found that many participants showed signs of depression and anxiety (36 percent each), as well as memory problems, mood swings, and obsessive behaviors. While the incident has sparked fury in community members online after the Sheriff's office shared the story, many were simply happy to hear that the cats would now be cared for. "So glad calls came in and they were rescued and are getting the care they need," said one commenter on Facebook, while another wrote: "Heartbreaking. Thank goodness they got saved." Newsweek reached out to The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County via email for comment.
NBC News
17-06-2025
- NBC News
Washington deputy uses lasso to retrieve chainsaw-wielding man out of a pond
Authorities in Pierce County, Washington, used a lasso to pull a man from a pond after he allegedly chased his father with a chainsaw over the weekend, according to bodycam footage released on Monday. Neighbors reported that a 32-year-old man was running after his father with a chainsaw in a yard, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office said the man was threatening both of his parents. Bodycam footage of the incident posted on the sheriff's office's YouTube on Monday shows the 32-year-old man — who authorities did not name — jumping into a nearby pond with the chainsaw when approached by officers. The man refused to leave the pond for more than an hour before deputies used a lasso to rope him and pull him to shore, the bodycam footage shows. The 32-year-old was then handcuffed and taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for mental health issues, according to the sheriff's office.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Pierce County sheriff scoffs at WSP's apology for disrupting Pride flag ceremony
Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank called out the Washington State Patrol on social media Thursday after the statewide law enforcement agency apologized for interrupting the raising of the Pride flag at the state capitol. Swank didn't call out the State Patrol for disrupting the Wednesday ceremony. He said the agency should be 'embarrassed' for apologizing in a post that explained why troopers marched through the ceremony and reiterated its mission to protect, defend and respect the rights of all. 'You should be embarrassed by this post,' Swank wrote on his X account. 'Any WSP who wants to work for a real law enforcement organization should come work at the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.' The post from the State Patrol read: 'The Washington State Patrol offers our heartfelt apologies for disrupting the raising of the Pride Flag on Capitol Campus today. The team leading our cadets to their graduation ceremony did not adequately communicate about the alternate route planned around the crowd.' The post went on: 'It was never our intention to disrupt an important community event. Our motto is 'Service with Humility,' and our mission is to protect, defend and respect the rights of all. We apologize for our misstep on what should be a great day for us all as we celebrate Pride.' Swank did not immediately return a phone call and text message Thursday asking if he would explain why the State Patrol should be embarrassed by the post. Chris Loftis, a spokesperson for the State Patrol, declined to comment on Swank's comment. The event was sponsored by the state's LGBTQ commission and was attended by Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson and Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Dave Upthegrove, the Olympian reported. Citing statistics showing a significant number of LGBTQ youth have considered suicide in the past year, Upthegrove — also a Democrat — told the newspaper that giving visibility to the LGBTQ community by raising the Pride flag shows people they can live full, meaningful lives. At some point during the ceremony, two lines of troopers marched through the event instead of taking an alternate route around the crowd. Videos of the incident on social media caused some to speculate that the troopers had deliberately disrupted the event to intimidate the crowd. In a written statement, Loftis said there was no intent to offend or distract from the event. He said it was a simple mistake, not any sort of statement. 'We had a miscommunication in our planning, and it led to us inadvertently disrupting another public event being held by citizens we are sworn to serve, protect, and respect,' Loftis wrote. 'We quickly and rightfully apologized to the impacted parties,' he added. 'That was the right things to do as public servants, as a law enforcement agency, and as friends and neighbors.' Swank has a track record of being provocative on social media. He once posted on X that a transgender legislator from Montana, Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr, was a man with mental health issues who should be called by her given male name. He's also posted that men and women who pretend to be the opposite sex are 'appropriating gender.' Swank retired from the Seattle Police Department in 2023 as a captain after 33 years on the force. But his conduct on social media — denigrating trans people and defending the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol — led former Seattle Police Department Chief Sue Rahr to declare earlier this year that he would have been fired if he had stayed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
1 dead, several injured in car crash in Pierce County, Sheriff's Office says
One person is dead and five are injured from a crash in Pierce County on Tuesday. The driver in an unlicensed Dodge Durango was driving recklessly and swerving near 112th Street East and Portland Avenue East. Multiple people reported the car to 911, and a deputy saw the Dodge right before it struck another vehicle, Pierce County Sheriff's Office spokesperson deputy Carly Cappetto told The News Tribune. The crash was reported at 2:15 p.m, according to PulsePoint. The driver and four passengers of the Dodge were boys, including the person who died, Cappetto said. The driver was arrested with unknown minor injuries. One passenger suffered life-threatening injuries while another has serious injuries. The driver, a 24-year-old man, in the vehicle that was struck suffered injuries, and their car was totaled, she said. The extent of his injuries was not immediately known. The crash involved a power pole, and electrical wires fell onto the roadway, according to a Central Pierce Fire & Rescue spokesperson. The roadway is expected to be closed for an extended period. This is a developing story, check back for updates.
