EDMONDS — An off-duty Edmonds police officer was accused of pointing a gun at another driver in an apparent road rage incident in Lynnwood on Monday.
Around 1:15 p.m., a man was exiting I-5 south at 196th Street SW when a driver in a Subaru cut him off and almost pushed him off the road, according to a police report filed in Everett District Court. The Subaru driver was identified as Edmonds officer Melinda McClements Leen, 35.
“I didn’t see no blinker,” the man reportedly later told police.
When both drivers were stopped at a red light at 196th Street SW and 44th Avenue W, the woman driving the Subaru looked at him. He raised his hands in confusion, according to the police report. She raised her hands back at him.
“Next thing you know, she reaches under either her chair or her side door and grabs a pistol and puts it up to the window” and points it at him, the man told police, according to court papers.
With cars in front of him, the man reportedly told investigators he had nowhere to go.
“I literally just put my hands up, I was like, ‘Well, this is it,’” he reported.
The man called 911. Lynnwood police stopped Leen at the intersection of 44th Avenue W and 188th Street SW, according to the police report.
Police arrested Leen, of Lake Stevens, for investigation of second-degree assault, a felony. Her gun was taken into evidence, according to court documents.
She was booked into the Snohomish County Jail at 2:59 p.m. Monday, records show.
In a Tuesday court appearance, Everett District Court Judge Tam Bui found probable cause for the second-degree assault allegation. Bui ordered Leen, reportedly a member of the National Guard, could be released from jail, with some conditions. For example, she is not allowed to possess guns or have contact with the other driver. And she must advise the military of her arrest.
Just after 5 p.m. Tuesday, she was released from jail, after over 26 hours in custody.
Edmonds Police Chief Michelle Bennett released a statement on the officer’s arrest:
“On December 2nd, I was made aware of the arrest of one of our officers, a 3-year veteran of the department. We take this matter very seriously and are cooperating fully with the investigation, which is being conducted by the Lynnwood Police Department. Our internal affairs investigation process has already begun, and the officer has been placed on administrative leave. We will not be releasing information related to the allegations, as those details are held by the Lynnwood Police Department as part of their investigation.”
Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; X: @GoldsteinStreet.
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