Grabbing cop’s camera begins suspects’ woes

EVERETT — A trio of would-be robbers picked the wrong target when they tried to steal a camera on Wednesday.

Three men attempted to take a camera from one of two undercover police officers conducting surveillance outside a house in the 2700 block of Everett Avenue, Everett police spokesman Sgt. Boyd Bryant said.

The officers were gathering information to serve a search warrant on the house when one suspect grabbed a plainclothes officer and attempted to rip a camera from her, Bryant said.

Bryant would not say why police wanted to search the house.

The two officers broke free and called uniformed officers for help.

Two of the suspects fled into the neighborhood. A third jumped into an approaching yellow Nissan pickup, which sped east on Hewitt Avenue. The passenger got out of the pickup near McCabe’s American Music Cafe near the I-5 overpass and was captured nearby.

The pickup driver fled on U.S. 2, where he threw a gun into the Snohomish River, Bryant said.

The man abandoned his truck in the 8800 block of 19th Avenue near Highway 9, but didn’t take it out of gear and it struck him as he was running away. The truck continued to roll, striking two police cars.

The suspect continued to flee, but ran into the side of an arriving patrol car. The man fled across a lawn, where he dropped drugs and drug paraphernalia, Bryant said, before officers captured him.

The man, a 27-year-old Lake Stevens resident, was taken to Providence Everett Medical Center’s Colby Campus. His injuries were not considered life threatening, Bryant said.

He was booked for investigation of fleeing police, and also had warrants for his arrest.

The two other suspects were later found near the Everett Avenue house and detained. One of them, a 28-year-old Everett man, was booked into jail for attempted robbery.

No officers or bystanders were injured in the robbery attempt or the chase, Bryant said.

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