A man arrested for speeding is also facing serious charges with regard to an earlier crime, according to local sources. Washington State Police arrested the 35-year-old man on charges of reckless driving and resisting arrest, but it appears the man is also a suspect in a different matter. He has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges from both cases.
The trouble began on Sept. 26 when an airborne unit searching for impaired drivers spotted a vehicle they say was going approximately 100 mph on Interstate 5 shortly before midnight. After a lengthy police chase, a trooper managed to maneuver a patrol vehicle in such a way as to force the driver to stop. Apparently, the vehicle had no license plates or active lights. The driver was arrested for reckless driving and resisting arrest. It was then determined the man was a suspect in an earlier incident that took place on Sept. 9.
In that incident, police say a man wearing a wig robbed an auto parts store and discharged a firearm, though no one was hurt. The man has pleaded not guilty to the charges of assault, robbery and unlawful gun possession. No court date has yet been announced.
Washington authorities have a considerable burden of proof in this case. In order to convict the man on the array of criminal charges filed against him, they will have to prove each element of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Evidence will have to be provided to prove the man arrested for speeding is the same man who robbed the store earlier in the month. If prosecutors are unable to provide competent and relevant evidence that the man was responsible for a specific crime, that charge cannot result in a convction.
Source: The News Tribune, “Troopers arrest suspect in Spanaway robbery after State Patrol plane spots speeding car on I-5”, Alexis Krell, Sept. 27, 2015