Police Department

Weekend recap for 4/11 - 4/14

Monique Cotton, Public Information & Communication Director, 509.363.8285

Monday, April 14, 2014 at 12:17 p.m.

Spokane Police arrest 33-year-old Leo A. Rodriguez for Attempt to Elude a Pursuing Police Vehicle and Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after he drove erratically through several Spokane neighborhoods, turned off his vehicle headlights, continued to drive at a high rate of speed, crashed his vehicle near the Mission Pool, and fled on foot.

On Sunday, 4/13/14, at approximately 1:15 a.m., Spokane Police received a report of a reckless driver traveling northbound on Greene from Mission. Officers located the vehicle, which was weaving in and out of the lane of travel, hitting medians, and travelling at erratic speeds. Responding officers attempted to stop the vehicle, utilizing the patrol car's emergency lights. The vehicle slowed down near Greene and Marietta, pulled to the side of the road, but did not come to a full stop. The vehicle driver then accelerated, fled the area at a high rate of speed, ran a stop sign, turned off the vehicle's headlights, and fled from officers. The suspect vehicle drove into a residential area and officers stopped pursuit of the suspect vehicle and deactivated emergency lights because of a concern for citizen safety, but still maintained observation of the vehicle.

Officers witnessed the vehicle travel at a high rate of speed and hit a bump near Marietta and Rebecca, causing the vehicle to bottom out. The vehicle failed to negotiate a turn and appeared to have crashed. Officers approached the vehicle in attempt to locate the driver and the vehicle suddenly took off, heading southbound into another residential neighborhood. Officers, located the vehicle on Upriver Drive, still driving at a high rate of speed, with the vehicle's headlights off, and this time driving in the wrong lane of travel. Because of the concern for public safety and the danger the driver was presenting to the community, SPD officers set up spike strips near Mission and Upriver. Officers blocked traffic on Mission in both directions to keep drivers in the area safe.

The fleeing vehicle hit the spike strips, continued to drive and hit the curb in front of the Mission Pool. The male driver of the vehicle jumped out of the vehicle and fled. He jumped over a fence as he ran from police, however was quickly taken into custody. The male, identified as 33-year-old Leo A. Rodriguez was arrested and booked for Attempt to Elude a Pursuing Police Vehicle and Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

Rodriguez will make his first court appearance today at 1:30 p.m.

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