LYNNWOOD—What began as a simple response to a drunken brawl with an Alderwood Mall security guard earlier this month led to a felony arrest of a man with multiple warrants, including unlawful possession of a firearm and multiple counts of possession of a stolen vehicle.
On May 3, Lynnwood Police Officer Rogers responded to a shoplifting incident turned heated, right outside of the Alderwood Mall Macy’s in Lynnwood. According to Commander Joseph Dickinson, Public Information Officer for the Lynnwood Police Department, the shoplifter had been confronted by a mall security guard and that’s when things escalated. The suspect was intoxicated, the LPD confirmed.
By the time Officer Rogers arrived on scene the mall security guard had de-escalated the situation and Officer Rogers found probable cause for theft.
While there, however, an unrelated second incident of shoplifting occurred, and the new suspect was now trying to flee. Officer Rogers intervened and asked this new suspect a series of questions including how he got to the mall. Though the suspect said he took the bus, curiosity was peaked when a vehicle key fob was found on his person setting off a chain reaction.
The key fob belonged to a BMW parked outside which the Lynnwood PD found to be stolen. Lynnwood PD Officers Kruse and Student Officer Luckman also noticed items inside the car they believed to be stolen, wrote a search warrant, and were authorized to search the vehicle.
Inside they found several stolen merchandise, a set of vehicle theft tools, as well as a stolen 7.62 by 51, large caliber, rifle and a set of body armor. A quick check revealed this new suspect had multiple felony warrants, including two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm. According to the LPD his felony warrants were issued somewhere out of King County.
The suspect now faces a laundry list of new charges on top of his existing warrants, the LPD said, including possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen firearm, possession of stolen property in the second and third degree, unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree, possessing vehicle theft tools, possession of a controlled substance, and making false statements to an Officer.
The suspect was an unknown race, male, wearing glasses, black and white clothing, and black and white Nike shoes. He was in his mid-30’s.
“The Officers did a great job at just being curious that led to the recovery of a stolen firearm, which got it off the street and got the vehicle back to its rightful owner,” Commander Dickinson told the Lynnwood Times.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
