Police work can go from zero to light speed in an instant. An example of that was an arrest made by Hoquiam Police Jan. 22, shared this week on a Facebook post from Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers:

Around 7:30 p.m., Officer James Gaddis was dispatched to the 2900 block of Simpson Avenue for a subject standing next to Casa Mia smoking drugs from a pipe.

“As Officer Gaddis arrived, he turned his patrol car spotlight on the suspect, but the 36-year-old transient was apparently unabated by the bright attention. Officer Gaddis watched the suspect continue to take hits off what appeared to be a meth pipe.”

Gaddis identified himself and approached the suspect, who tossed his pipe and lighter on the ground. When Gaddis attempted to place the suspect under arrest for use of drug paraphernalia, a struggle ensued that spilled out into the right lane of traffic on Simpson Avenue. Myers said Gaddis took the suspect to the ground in an attempt to control and handcuff him, but the suspect kept turning over to prevent the control of his arms.

As Officer Gaddis pinned the suspect to the pavement and attempted to call for back-up on his radio at the same time, an off-duty corrections officer with the state Department of Corrections ran up and advised he was there to assist Officer Gaddis. With the assistance of Corrections Officer David Gleeson, who works at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center, Officer Gaddis was able to call for back-up and get the suspect handcuffed and up out of the street before they were hit by passing traffic in the darkness.

A check of the suspect revealed he was wanted on an outstanding felony probation warrant from the Department of Corrections; his prior conviction was for felony assault in the third degree, said Myers. The suspect was booked in the Hoquiam City Jail on the felony warrant, possession/use of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest.

“This is one of those examples of how police work can be dangerous and change in an instant from a simple contact to wrestling on the ground with a suspect high on meth out in the middle of traffic. With the intervention of Officer Gleeson from the Department of Corrections, no one in this incident, including the suspect, received any injury worse than a few scrapes from the pavement.”