A 22-year-old man from Port Angeles recently gave a Washington State Patrol Trooper a run for his money when he put up a 7-hour fight with a trooper attempting to detain him on suspicion of DUI.

Prior to the ordeal, the suspect was observed abruptly swerving back and forth and suddenly changing his speed and slamming on his brakes on U.S. Highway 101 near Palo Alto Road. After spotting the vehicle, the State Trooper engaged the man in a protracted pursuit, during which the Trooper chased, wrestled, and used a stun gun in an attempt to gain control of the suspect.

The story, which took multiple twists and turns, began when the trooper put on his emergency lights and the driver slowed down for a moment, but then sped away into a nearby parking lot, stopped his car, and ran east by foot, causing the trooper to run after him. When the suspect was found, he cursed and reached into his pocket for something, ignoring the trooper's warnings to put his hands down and forcing the trooper to deploy his stun gun.

After the stun gun was deployed, the suspect began to complain of heart problems and seemed to be convulsing on the ground. In response, the trooper called in medical aid.

Upon searching the suspect, troopers found two needles, two plastic bags filled with a white substance, and a bandana with a padlock tied to one end. When the suspect was asked for his name, he provided a name that didn't match with records and later admitted to providing a false identity.

The suspect succeeded in convincing medical responders that he had a serious heart condition that was exacerbated by the stun gun and he was transported to a local hospital, where a doctor checked him out and found there were no problems with the man's heart.

When the trooper told the suspect he would be seeking a legal blood draw, the suspect attempted to flee out of the hospital. After he was detained, he was restrained and booked into the Clallam County jail on charges of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, obstructing a law enforcement officer, making false or misleading statements

A field-test on the white substance showed that it was not narcotics. Further tests are being done on the unidentified substance.

The whole incident took much longer than is ordinary for a DUI arrest, which usually take three or four hours, from the time the suspect is stopped, arrested, towed, taken to jail, given a BAC test, booked, and reports are written.

Source: Sequim Gazette, "Man faces five charges after dramatic arrest," Amanda Winters, 6 April 2011.