Man arrested after riding stolen bike on I-5 in Seattle, causing large traffic backup
A man was arrested Wednesday after riding a stolen bicycle and fighting Washington State Patrol troopers on Interstate 5, causing a large traffic backup in the southbound lanes, the Seattle Police Department announced.
According to police, officers received reports around 7:30 p.m. about an assault, property damage and a strong-arm robbery of a bicycle, all involving the same man in the area of Northeast 45th Street and 7th Avenue Northeast.
As officers were being dispatched, police were informed that the King County Sheriff’s Office’s Guardian 1 helicopter was in the area and had seen the man riding the bike in the southbound lanes of I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge.
WSP troopers were called to the scene as well and attempted to take the man into custody.
According to police, the man punched one trooper in the face and kicked another. He was subsequently stunned by troopers with a Taser.
The man continued to resist and started spitting, according to police. Troopers then put a spit sock on the man.
Seattle police responded to the scene and arrested the man, who spit on two officers despite having the spit sock on.
The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center and later booked into the King County Jail for multiple counts of third-degree assault and investigation of robbery.
The officers who were spat on were also checked out at Harborview.
The incident caused a large traffic backup in the southbound lanes of I-5.
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