SPD arrests man after chase, recovers 5,000 fentanyl pills

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) recovered more than 5,000 suspected fentanyl pills during a drug bust following the arrest of a 33-year-old man who, according to officers, fled from police in South Seattle over the weekend.

The seizure was part of a broader investigation that also turned up crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and cash after the suspect attempted to evade police early Sunday morning.

Around 5:40 a.m. Sept. 1, patrol officers located the man, who detectives described as a known domestic violence suspect with a reported arrest warrant out of Snohomish County, at a gas station in the city’s SODO neighborhood. Officers moved in to arrest him after he finished fueling his car, but he fled.

Police said the suspect drove to a nearby apartment complex, ditched the vehicle, and ran toward an apartment unit. Officers gave chase and waited outside the apartment until he came out and was taken into custody.

Investigators said they later obtained a search warrant to search the suspect’s car and recovered more than 550 grams of fentanyl (more than 5,000 pills), approximately 84 grams of crack cocaine, 114 grams of methamphetamine, $842 in cash, and the suspect’s ID card.

The SPD said the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office declined to verify the outstanding warrant, so Seattle Police booked the man into King County Jail on suspicion of eluding a police vehicle, obstructing a law enforcement officer, and possession with intent to distribute synthetic narcotics.

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