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The fish tale about the suspect who didn’t get away in the Stillaguamish

Published 2:25 pm Thursday, September 4, 2025

By Jenna Millikan

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers arrest suspect after fishing him out of the Stillaguamish River on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2025. (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)
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Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers arrest suspect after fishing him out of the Stillaguamish River on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2025. (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Officers prepare to transport a man after fishing him out of the Stillaguamish River on Wednesday. (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

EVERETT — A man already wanted for felony eluding thought he could elude capture by jumping into the Stillaguamish River near Arlington on Wednesday. He didn’t count on getting captured by a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officer who jumped in after him.

Around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, a Fish and Wildlife officer contacted a man fishing at Haller Park on the Stillaguamish River. When dispatch ran the suspect’s information, it revealed an active Department of Corrections felony warrant for escaping community custody, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife social media post said.

When the officer attempted to take the suspect into custody, he tried to escape by jumping into the river, the post said. The officer followed him into the water, catching up to him downriver on the opposite shore.

Snohomish County Fire District No. 21, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, and officers from the Arlington, Everett and Marysville police departments. Agencies helped transport the Fish and Wildlife officer and suspect across the river to a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife patrol vehicle.

Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan

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