In an intense 40-minute standoff that gripped Washington, a suspected impaired driver who persistently defied police orders was ultimately subdued when officers resorted to using a K-9 through the vehicle’s driver-side window. Freshly released body camera footage captures the dramatic scene.
On Thursday, the Vancouver Police Department unveiled both body and dash camera videos showcasing the gripping events from July 26. The footage highlights an exhaustive chase that concluded with K-9 Midas dramatically springing into the car to aid in securing the suspect’s arrest.
Officers were dispatched following a deluge of reports concerning a driver, appearing visibly impaired and reportedly unconscious at the wheel. Witnesses noted the individual was seemingly engaging in huffing behavior with compressed air cans while attempting to drive.
Upon tracking down the vehicle, law enforcement observed the driver relentlessly inhaling from a canister. A traffic stop was initiated, yet the driver exhibited no intention of yielding.
Video evidence reveals the suspect’s car as it struck a curb and accelerated in a desperate bid to escape, narrowly veering off into a residential yard at one point.
According to police, the driver’s actions posed an immediate danger to others on the road, prompting an officer to deploy a Grappler device that successfully brought the vehicle to a stop.
Even after the vehicle stopped, the driver refused repeated commands to get out, police said.
Officers spent more than 40 minutes communicating with the driver and evaluating multiple options to gain compliance, including a 40 mm less-lethal launcher and pepper balls.
Police said the driver continued inhaling from compressed air cans throughout the standoff and refused repeated commands to surrender.
After multiple warnings, officers deployed K-9 Midas through the driver’s side window.
The video shows officers quickly surrounding the vehicle after the K-9 entered the car before safely taking the driver into custody.
The suspect, Brandon Wells, was booked into the Clark County Jail on charges of attempting to elude police, driving under the influence, reckless driving and resisting arrest.