A juvenile accused of threatening people with what appeared to be a handgun didn’t get very far after running from deputies in Washington state. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office says the suspect’s attempted escape lasted only about eight seconds before a deputy caught up and deployed a Taser.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded to a WinCo store just before 1 a.m. on Aug. 8 after receiving multiple reports of a juvenile threatening people with what witnesses believed was a firearm. As deputies made contact, officials said the suspect ignored commands and fled on foot.
Authorities said the juvenile appeared to reach toward a bag containing what looked like a handgun before taking off. After the suspect was taken into custody, deputies determined the weapon was actually an Airsoft/BB gun designed to closely resemble a Glock-style pistol.
The juvenile was arrested and charged with brandishing and resisting arrest. The sheriff’s office later shared body camera footage of the encounter, using the incident to remind people that running from deputies is rarely a successful plan.
Body Camera Shows Eight-Second Foot Chase Come to an Abrupt End
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Image Credit: Clark County Sheriff’s Office
The clip really is as short as the officer says. In it, you see two officers approaching the front of a store as the juvenile with the supposed handgun and another person start walking out.
Immediately, the officers ask the two people, “Hey, police. Put your hands on your head.” Only one of them responds to the officers and puts his hands above his head. However, the suspect who was accused of having the handgun almost looks as though he was going to reach for it.
Instead, he turns around and starts making a run for it, dropping things from his pockets as he went. Of course, the chase didn’t last very long, and the suspect was on the ground after a whopping eight seconds.
Comments Praise Deputy’s Speed While Joking About the Taser Ride
The sheriff’s office’s post quickly filled with jokes about the suspect’s very short attempt to escape. Several commenters laughed that the eight-second sprint barely covered any distance, while others joked that the suspect had just received a dose of “Edison’s medicine” before his run came to an abrupt end.
Many also praised Deputy Ehrenfelt for quickly closing the gap before the suspect could go any farther. Some said they initially expected a police K-9 when they saw the words “fast deputy,” while others joked that the deputy’s speed was almost as impressive as the agency’s Grappler vehicle pursuit system.
Others focused less on the chase and more on the danger of carrying an Airsoft gun that closely resembles a real firearm. Several commenters pointed out that the situation could have ended much differently had deputies believed the weapon posed an immediate, deadly threat, while others said the most important lesson was simple: don’t threaten people with what appears to be a gun, and don’t run from law enforcement.