Police arrest five teens in early morning incident

A car chase through downtown Mercer Island on June 8 ended with an officer discharging his weapon in the Mercerdale neighborhood in the 3400 block of 76th Avenue S.E. All five suspects were arrested during the incident, according to Mercer Island Police Detective Pete Erickson.

The incident began at 4:15 a.m. in the downtown business district after an officer noticed suspicious activity involving two stolen vehicles. One car fled toward Luther Burbank Park, where the MIPD arrested two individuals, both teenagers from Seattle. Another officer followed the second car south on 78th Avenue S.E., eventually ending on 76th Avenue S.E., a dead-end street. The vehicle — with three teenagers, also from Seattle, inside — tried to back out of the road toward the MIPD officer, who then discharged his weapon.

Erickson said the vehicle crashed into another car parked in a driveway and partially slid down the embankment toward a home. The house was occupied at the time of the incident, but no one inside the home was injured.

Following the crash, two people in the vehicle were arrested, said Erickson. The third person, a male teenager, escaped on foot. Erickson said one of those was arrested two hours into the investigation, after a resident reported seeing the teenager crouching behind a bush in his yard.

The officer sustained minor injuries to his hand and was the only person to be treated by medical officials. He is doing fine, Erickson said.

Two of the occupants in the vehicle that crashed had minor injuries, such as cuts from glass spray. According to Police Commander Leslie Burns, the suspects include one 18-year-old and four minors. Both of the cars were stolen, one from Kent, and the other from Seattle.

Contact Mercer Island Reporter Staff Reporter Staff at editor@mi-reporter.com.

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