K9 helps nab woman in car chase

COEUR d’ALENE — Police arrested a Spokane woman on several charges after a pursuit through several parking lots in the North Government Way area Monday evening.

According to a Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office press release, central dispatch advised of a Coeur d’Alene Police Department unit following a freshly reported stolen U-Haul pickup in the area of Government Way and Hanley Avenue.

The CPD unit was transporting a prisoner at the time and unable to attempt a traffic stop. KCSO units located the vehicle in the Silver Lake Mall parking lot and attempted to conduct a stop.

The vehicle, driven by Danielle Lee Williamson, 36, Spokane, failed to yield and pulled onto Government Way southbound, according to reports.

Police reports say Williamson reached speeds in excess of 60 mph on Government Way and ran through several red lights along the way.

Police said as Williamson approached the intersection of Neider and Government Way, the road was completely congested, so she turned right to cut through the Safeway parking lot to reach Neider Avenue.

Williamson then re-entered the parking lot near Kmart where it continued around the north side of the business. As the pursuit approached Government Way, other units from KCSO and CPD had arrived and closed off the parking lot exits, making the vehicle operator choose to stop, the release said.

After reportedly refusing several commands to exit the vehicle, the female driver was contacted by Manus, a KCSO K9, and eventually taken into custody.

“Manus made contact with the female’s upper left arm,” one officer wrote in his report. “Manus attempted to remove the female from the vehicle but the female did not move.”

The officer said he and another officer had to physically remove Williamson from the vehicle.

One officer noted, “I found it odd behavior; the female had no reaction to the K-9 contact or law enforcement giving verbal commands.”

The release said deputies immediately rendered aid to Williamson as a result of the K9 contact until emergency services arrived and transported her to Kootenai Health for further treatment.

The investigation is ongoing and no other injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

Williamson is currently being held without bail pending first appearance on several charges: felony eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle, driving while license suspended, DUI for alcohol and drugs, and obstructing and delaying a peace officer.