A 24‑year‑old man was taken into custody in Seattle this Christmas day after allegedly hijacking a Washington State Patrol cruiser and dragging a lieutenant onto the freeway. Police say the incident occurred on Interstate 5 around 11 a.m., when the lieutenant was responding to reports of a vehicle‑crossing driver.
According to an arrest report provided to KOMO News, Alexander Eugene Smith—who was still uncooperative when first approached by officers—stormed into the patrol car, which was displaying flashing lights, and opened the driver’s door. He then overpowered the lieutenant, forced her onto the roadway, and drove off in the vehicle. The daring theft prompted an immediate pursuit by other troopers, who eventually rammed the cruiser into the shoulder of the highway, bringing it to a stop before noon.
Video footage that TMZ obtained showed Smith walking calmly across the northbound lanes of the north‑bound Interstate as traffic whizzed by. The clip captured him approaching the marked patrol vehicle, unseating the driver, and driving off in a manner that forced several surrounding police cars to swerve or collide as they tried to intercept the fleeing cruiser.
Witnesses and police reports indicate that Smith allegedly had been smoking meth earlier that day. When officers arrived on the scene, they found him with “two glass pipes with dark, tar‑like residue” on his person. The drug‑related evidence, along with the circumstances of the theft, led to multiple charges: robbery, felony eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle, assault on a law‑enforcement officer and driving under the influence.
The lieutenant who was taken from her vehicle reportedly suffered only minor injuries during the ordeal. The abrupt removal from the patrol car and the chaotic highway chase left several other police vehicles damaged in the process of attempting to stop Smith.
Smith had failed to appear for his arraignment scheduled for Friday and is now set to return to court on Saturday afternoon. He is being held at the King County jail pending further proceedings.
This high‑profile incident underscores the dangers officers face, even in their own gear, and the serious legal consequences for those who choose to seize law‑enforcement vehicles. The case remains under active investigation as authorities prepare the next steps in the prosecution.
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