On September 10, 2016 at approximately 6:20 p.m., Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Humphrey observed a Plymouth Voyager van in the area of Highway 2 and Hayford Road. After checking the van’s license plate on his computer, he learned the van had been reported stolen on August 19, 2016 in Airway Heights.
Deputy Humphrey turned around and attempted to catch up to the van as it traveled west on Highway 2 and began to accelerate. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as 31-year-old Paul W. Hall, turned south on Hayden Road with Deputy Humphrey in pursuit.
Hall continued to try and evade capture by turning on several streets as he drove at a high rate of speed. Hall eventually made his way onto I-90 from Highway 902 where he reached speeds of 100-110mph. With uninvolved traffic light and other drivers on the roadway yielding, the pursuit continued eastbound on I-90. Two attempts to deploy spike strips and slow Hall down were unsuccessful when he swerved to avoid hitting them.
Hall exited I-90 on the Appleway off ramp and continued eastbound on Appleway at approximately 55 mph as the van began to smoke. With Spokane Valley and Spokane County patrol cars behind him, Hall turned south onto Park Road and then immediately into a trailer park located in the 200 block of S. Park Road. With the van’s engine appearing to be failing, Hall stopped the van and attempted to flee on foot.
Spokane Valley Corporal Jeff Thurman and his partner K9 Laslo quickly exited their patrol vehicle to pursue Hall. Corporal Thurman told Hall if he didn’t stop running, K9 Laslo would be deployed but Hall continued to flee. K9 Laslo was released and caught Hall in the Dishman Dodge parking lot. With K9 Laslo’s assistance, Hall began to comply with commands and he was taken into custody without further incident.
Hall received medical attention prior to being transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Attempting to Eluded a Law Enforcement Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle and Violation of a No Contact Order.
The Airway Heights Police and Washington State Patrol assisted during this lengthy pursuit as all of the agencies worked together to recover this reported stolen vehicle and safely take the suspect into custody.