Man carrying machete arrested after pursuit through Wenatchee

WENATCHEE — A man wanted on an outstanding Department of Corrections warrant was arrested just after 4 p.m. June 2 after fleeing law enforcement officers from East Wenatchee into downtown Wenatchee, prompting a multi-agency response and temporary traffic blockages before he was subdued with less-lethal rounds near Saddlerock Pub & Brewery.

According to Wenatchee Police Department Captain Brian Chance, police officers spotted the suspect in East Wenatchee carrying a machete in his pants. When officers attempted to contact him, the man fled on foot, running across the W.T. Clark Pipeline Bridge and into Wenatchee.

The pursuit continued through the downtown corridor and drew officers from both the Wenatchee and East Wenatchee police departments, as well as Department of Corrections personnel.

Witnesses observed police vehicles positioned at several downtown intersections as officers searched for and pursued the suspect. Portions of Wenatchee Avenue and Orondo Avenue were temporarily blocked by police vehicles while additional units responded to the area.

Several officers involved in the pursuit were equipped with high-visibility black and orange less-lethal weapons, which Chance referred to as “beanbag shotguns.”

The suspect continued north through downtown before officers confronted him near Saddlerock Pub & Brewery on North Wenatchee Avenue.

Chance said officers deployed "blue nose" baton rounds, a less-lethal 40 mm impact munition, during the arrest.

Photographs taken at the scene show the suspect seated and handcuffed while being evaluated by emergency medical personnel. Chance said the man was examined by medics but declined transportation to a hospital.

The suspect was arrested on the outstanding Department of Corrections warrant and booked on additional charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Additional charges remain possible, according to police.

Chance declined to release the man's identity, citing privacy concerns related to possible mental health issues.

No injuries to officers or members of the public were reported.

The incident appeared to unfold over less than an hour, beginning in East Wenatchee and ending with the suspect's arrest near Saddlerock Pub & Brewery after a pursuit that crossed the Columbia River and moved through the center of downtown Wenatchee.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media