BY PEPPER FISHER

Port Angeles – A Port Angeles man is in custody after speeding away from officers, tearing through the streets of Port Angeles and finally being stopped with a PIT maneuver.

At about 6:40AM Wednesday a PAPD Officer observed a pickup truck driving erratically on Highway 101 on the west side of town. A traffic stop was attempted but the driver failed to yield and sped away.

Police Chief Brian Smith told KONP that on Lauridsen Boulevard near Race Street, one of his officers was able to successfully stop the suspect thanks to the benefit of some skilled training.

“Near Race Street, they had an opportunity to perform what we call a pit maneuver, where the police car’s fender touches the rear fender of the suspect vehicle and puts it into a spin. Well, that maneuver was successful, and the suspect’s vehicle came to a stop. He fled through the public housing project and another officer that was responding spotted him and was able to stop him. And so, that was the end of the pursuit.”

After being transported to Olympic Medical Center for complaints of shortness of breath, a search warrant was obtained for a DUI blood draw.

Soon after, 27-year-old Kenneth Lee Brown was booked and is being held on charges that include felony eluding of Police, DUI/Drugs, possession of a stolen vehicle and two outstanding arrest warrants. One warrant was for theft.

(PAPD photo shows suspect vehicle stopped as if carefully parked in a driveway next to a fence)