Marysville man sentenced for threatening police

Published 10:53 pm Thursday, May 13, 2010

EVERETT — Washington State Patrol trooper Dan Anderson can’t ignore threats against police officers.

He was a motorcycle escort in two funeral processions for police officers killed in the line of duty last year, Anderson told a judge Thursday.

“We are taking these seriously every time because of what has happened in this state,” Anderson said.

The trooper spoke Thursday before a man was sentenced to 1 1/2 years in jail for threatening Anderson and other troopers during a traffic stop in February.

Troy Eugene Carlson, 44, pleaded guilty last month to two counts of misdemeanor harassment. He has 10 prior felony convictions and 38 misdemeanor convictions, according to prosecutors.

Carlson apologized to Anderson on Thursday. He wasn’t going to carry through with his threats, his attorney said.

Anderson stopped Carlson in February after the Marysville man ran a red light and nearly collided with Anderson’s motorcycle.

The trooper checked Carlson’s status in a state criminal database and found an advisory cautioning that Carlson had threatened officers in the past. During that arrest, Carlson threatened to ambush police officers, according to court documents.

After learning of the advisory Anderson peered through windows of Carlson’s car, looking for weapons. Carlson became agitated and then threatened Anderson and a second trooper on scene, court papers said.

A third trooper drove Carlson to jail. That trooper reported that Carlson threatened him, too. The trooper said Carlson made reference to the shootings that claimed the lives of a Seattle police officer, who was a Marysville resident, and four officers from Lakewood.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.