This is one of those videos that makes you sit up a little straighter behind the wheel, and maybe rethink who you’re sharing the road with.
What starts as a suspected retail theft spree turns into a high-speed chase ripping through city streets, with a driver blowing through intersections and pushing speeds that leave almost no margin for error. It’s chaotic, it’s reckless, and it’s exactly the kind of situation that can go from viral video to something much worse in a matter of seconds.
The part that really sticks, though, isn’t just the driving. It’s who was behind the wheel. According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the driver had already been arrested 97 times before this incident. This one made 98. That number alone has taken on a life of its own online, with reactions ranging from disbelief to dark humor.
“98th arrest… what’s the prize for 100?” one commenter wrote. Another added, “98 arrests. You’d think he’d get better at it,” while a third joked, “He’s going for that full 100 on his punch card.”
At the same time, not everyone found it funny. A lot of the reaction zeroed in on the risk to the public and the bigger question behind that number. “Going through downtown that fast, I’m surprised he didn’t kill anyone,” one person wrote, while another cut straight to it: “Maybe keep him this time?”
This Is the Video Everyone Is Talking About
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According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were alerted that two suspects tied to an organized retail theft spree were heading north on I-5 after allegedly stealing merchandise from multiple stores, including using stolen bags from one retailer to take items from another. The pair had also been linked to a theft just days earlier, where they were not apprehended.
A deputy spotted the truck, but before emergency lights were even activated, it fled. Deputies initiated a pursuit and attempted a PIT maneuver, but quickly terminated the chase as the truck drove onto city streets at high speed. A short time later, deputies located the vehicle again, leaving downtown and briefly re-engaging before calling it off a second time due to what the sheriff’s office described as extremely reckless driving, including running through intersections.
They Called It Off—Then Still Made the Arrest
This is the part that deserves just as much attention as the chase itself.
Rather than force a bad situation, deputies backed off when the risk got too high. Then they went to work.
A short time later, the truck was found abandoned. A K-9 track led deputies to both suspects walking through a nearby neighborhood, where they were taken into custody at gunpoint without further incident.
It’s the same pattern we’ve seen before from this department, the same one behind that Mustang pursuit we covered earlier. Call it off when it gets dangerous, then finish the job the right way.
That balance is not easy to get right. They did.
What Deputies Found Inside
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the truck and reported finding thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise from multiple businesses, along with methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.
Then there was the detail that immediately took off online.
According to the sheriff’s office, the driver had a custom device built into the dashboard that allowed him to smoke while driving. Authorities also obtained a warrant for a blood draw as part of a DUI investigation.
Yes, really.
The Reaction Isn’t Really About the Chase
For many viewers, the chase itself almost became secondary.
The number, 98 arrests, stuck.
“98th? Are you flippin’ kidding me?” one commenter wrote. Another added, “How does that even happen?” while others leaned into the absurdity, joking about what happens at 100.
At the same time, others questioned what happens next. “Why bother arresting if your court system will just release him?” one person wrote, while another added, “Is it going to take someone getting killed before this stops?”
There was also some appreciation for how deputies handled it in the moment. “Great work to back off when needed, but even better work to track them down,” one comment read.
That tension between good police work and broader systemic questions is really what’s driving the conversation here.
For now, though, two suspects are in custody, stolen merchandise has been recovered, and a situation that could have ended very differently didn’t. And if nothing else, the video is a reminder of just how quickly an ordinary drive can turn into something you never saw coming.