Bumbling Washington troopers slowly follow man as he runs down freeway... before he tackles female officer to the ground and speeds off in her car
The man who threw the female officer to the ground told police he had smoked meth before his encounter with the Washington State Patrol.
By ELIOT FORCE, US NEWS REPORTER
Published: 21:55 GMT, 11 January 2026 | Updated: 22:36 GMT, 11 January 2026
A Washington man threw a state trooper to the ground and stole her patrol vehicle before getting into a high-speed chase last month, with dramatic body camera footage capturing the incident.
According to court filings obtained by KOMO News, the man who stole the car was 24-year-old Alexander Eugene Smith. He told investigators he had smoked meth before his encounter with the Washington State Patrol.
Body camera video shows troopers approaching Smith after receiving reports that he had been running across all the lanes of Interstate 5 in Seattle on Christmas Day.
The troopers kindly asked him to leave the highway and offered him something to drink and a ride in one of their vehicles.
Smith eventually agreed to walk off the highway, and troopers slowly followed him in their cars as he made his way down the hard shoulder of the road for a long distance.
He then stopped and sat on the highway's guardrail. Troopers gave him water and a blanket while he refused to keep moving.
He finally began walking again, but soon threw the bottle of water and blanket to the ground before running into traffic.
A trooper pleaded with him to stop, but he kept running. Another trooper then pulled up to him in her car. Smith approached the driver's side and opened the door before pulling the trooper out, throwing her to the ground and getting behind the wheel.
Alexander Eugene Smith, 24, threw a state trooper to the ground and stole her patrol vehicle before getting into a high-speed chase last month
Footage from a female trooper's body camera shows Smith pulling her out of her patrol vehicle and throwing her to the ground before getting behind the wheel
'Holy s***,' the female officer can be heard saying before getting up and trying to reopen the door, which Smith had quickly locked. She then repeatedly shouted 'No!' as he drove off.
A high-speed chase ensued, with a trooper attempting two PIT maneuvers to stop Smith. The first was unsuccessful, but the second landed and made Smith lose control of the car.
Several other officers quickly arrived and exited their vehicles with their guns drawn before pulling Smith out of the stolen patrol vehicle and arresting him.
Police said that he resisted arrest and had to be tased before he was taken into custody. The whine of the taser can be heard in the video, and some of the prongs stuck into his back can be seen as well.
The Washington State Patrol said that the pursuit sparked a response from multiple agencies, including the Seattle Police Department.