Fugitive caught after high-speed pursuit
<p>Kootenai County Sheriff deputies prepare to move a suspect who was arrested Wednesday for leading three law enforcement agencies on a high-speed chase through Hayden, Dalton Gardens and Coeur d'Alene. The suspect wrecked the vehicle he was in at Hubbard Avenue and Northwest Boulevard and then led police officers on a short foot pursuit through the education corridor before being apprehended.</p>
<p>A Nissan coupe rests on the median along Northwest Boulevard Wednesday at the scene where a high speed chase with police ended. After crashing the car, the driver fled on foot.</p>
<p>A trooper with the Idaho State Police takes photographs of the vehicle that was involved in a high speed pursuit as northbound traffic is backed up on Northwest Boulevard.</p>
<p>Several police units follow as a Kootenai County Sheriff's Department vehicle crosses Appleway Avenue at the Fourth Street intersection.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - A fugitive - known as a violent offender and as a Skinhead gang member - led law enforcement on a dangerous and at times high-speed pursuit through the Coeur d'Alene area Wednesday afternoon.
The fugitive driver, Patrick S. Dalton, 30, whose last known address was believed to be in Clarkston, Wash., was wanted as an escapee from community custody out of Washington. He also was wanted for a felony failure to appear warrant out of Nez Perce County, Idaho.
"At one point, there were reported (speeds) at 80 mph, but only briefly," said Sgt. Ward B. Crawford, of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department.
The warrant from Washington showed Dalton's original charge was for dangerous drugs. The Nez Perce County warrant was for eluding and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Just after 3:30 p.m., members of the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force, with assistance from the sheriff's department K-9 unit, attempted to stop Dalton's vehicle.
When officers attempted to stop Dalton in the area of U.S. 95 and west Canfield Avenue in the northern end of Coeur d'Alene, he immediately attempted to elude them and the pursuit started.
The pursuit circled briefly then traveled southbound on Fourth Street through Dalton Gardens and back into Coeur d'Alene. Dalton drove recklessly in an effort to get away, Crawford said in a news release.
Prior to reaching the downtown area, the pursuit turned west to Northwest Boulevard.
Dalton lost control of the vehicle at the intersection of Northwest Boulevard and west Hubbard Street, crashing into the landscaping of the center median. His vehicle became high-centered.
Dalton then fled his vehicle on foot and was pursued by deputies and officers from the Coeur d'Alene Police Department, who had joined the pursuit.
Dalton was taken into custody after a sheriff's department K-9 unit was able to locate him.
A search for evidence in the immediate area showed Dalton allegedly tried to discard about 4 ounces of drugs believed to be methamphetamine, the news release said.
Dalton was initially treated at the scene by medical personnel as a result of his contact with the K-9 unit and was taken to Kootenai Medical Center for follow-up treatment before he was taken to the Kootenai County jail.
In addition to the two felony warrants, Dalton was charged with felony drug trafficking, felony possession of a controlled substance and felony eluding.
Two passengers in the car driven by Dalton were taken into custody without incident and transported to the jail.
Brett C. Sears, 28, of Spokane, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance. Katie A. Gendron, 18, of Spokane, was charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and frequenting.
Idaho State Police personnel were called to the scene to investigate the crash portion of the pursuit.
Further investigation is ongoing at this time, Crawford said.
Other than the K-9 contact to Dalton, nobody was injured during the incident.
The only damage reported was to the landscaping in the center median that Dalton crashed into and to the car that Dalton was driving.