MONROE — A Monroe man who allegedly threatened to cut his wife’s throat, doused them both with gasoline and led deputies on a high-speed chase down U.S. 2 on Sunday reportedly said he wanted the police to end his life.
The couple has been married for 17 years. The woman, 41, called 911 on Sunday afternoon, screaming for help.
“He’s got a knife to my throat. I don’t know where I am,” she reportedly told emergency dispatchers.
Authorities used technology to narrow the search to U.S. 2 near Gold Bar. Calls also were received about a vehicle speeding down the highway, sometimes into oncoming traffic.
The driver, 38, allegedly refused to stop for Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies, according to the police report.
The driver blasted through a tire-puncturing spike strip and stymied deputies’ efforts to force the car to stall by using a PIT maneuver, which involves tapping the back bumper of a fleeing vehicle and causing the driver to spin out.
Whenever they got close enough, the man allegedly would hit the brakes or try to ram the pursuing patrol cars.
The PIT maneuver finally worked in Monroe and the man surrendered.
The woman told police he’d earlier poured gasoline on them both and threatened to ignite a lighter, but she managed to knock it aside and break it. She said that’s when he pulled the box cutter and repeatedly sliced her arm.
After being advised of his rights, the man allegedly admitted to dousing them both with gasoline. At different times he reportedly said he planned to kill himself or them both.
He also said he kept driving because he didn’t want to go to jail and that he hoped police would kill him, documents show.
The man was booked for investigation of second-degree assault, making threats to kill and attempting to elude police.
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