Man allegedly threw concrete chunks from I-5 overpass

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, November 5, 2019

EVERETT — A Marysville man was arrested Saturday for allegedly throwing baseball-sized concrete chunks and other objects at cars on I-5 in Everett.

Multiple people called 911 around noon reporting the 41-year-old man was on the Pacific Avenue overpass. When a Washington State Patrol trooper arrived on the scene, the suspect appeared to be squaring up to fight another man, according to a report filed in Everett District Court.

Upon seeing the trooper, the suspect reportedly walked away, apparently agitated. The trooper ordered him on the ground. The man complied, but allegedly tensed up in resistance while being handcuffed. He didn’t offer any statement, court papers say.

At least seven vehicles were damaged by the hail of items, which included concrete chunks, a wood block, rocks, a foot-long pipe and a trailer hitch, according to court papers. The alleged attack also caused two cars to collide. Troopers estimated thousands of dollars in damage.

One vehicle in particular sustained significant body damage and multiple broken windows. When the driver stopped, the man reportedly kept striking the car and attempted to open its doors.

“The malicious behavior (the suspect) displayed at (the) passing motorist(s) yielded zero regard for their safety,” a trooper wrote.

The man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of first-degree assault and malicious mischief. He remained there Monday with bail set at $100,000.

In a separate case, he was charged in June with first-degree burglary. Charging papers noted that Marysville police have responded to incidents involving the man more than 25 times, including some checks on his mental health. Prosecutors described him as a “substantial danger” to the community and aggressive toward law enforcement.

Zachariah Bryan: 425-339-3431; zbryan@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @zachariahtb.