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The Chronicle
Centralia, Wash.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Driving a car into a business at a high rate of speed to gain entry and steal items inside is now considered first-degree burglary, or burglary while armed with a deadly weapon, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
The crime is traditionally considered second-degree burglary, which, under current state law, is not a pursuable offense. First-degree burglary is a pursuable offense under state law.
The decision came following discussions between Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders, his executive staff and the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office.
Sheriff Derek Sanders announced the tactic change during a video update on Tuesday, Aug. 29, in which he addressed two burglaries that occurred in Thurston County, one in the Yelm area and one in unincorporated Thurston County, earlier that day.
“This is a crime trend that is becoming more popular, and what we’re talking about is individuals who use stolen cars to crash into a business at a high rate of speed, do tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the business, steal everything inside and then flee in a different stolen car,” Sanders said.
“So even when we do come into contact with them, they just flee,” Sanders said.
[RELATED: Wash. gov. signs new pursuit law]
In considering the crime first-degree burglary, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and the Thurston County Prosecutor’s office are now interpreting the vehicle as a deadly weapon, Sanders said.
“What it means is that if you come to Thurston County and you decide you’re going to tens of thousands of dollars to one of our businesses in damage, you’re going to smash that stolen car and you’re going to get in your buddy’s stolen car and flee from the scene, we are now going to chase you,” Sanders said, later adding, “We cannot tolerate as a community the destruction of these businesses so that people can get inside and steal maybe $2,000 worth of merchandise.”
Small businesses are the primary targets of these burglaries, Sanders said, adding, “They’re driving small businesses out of our area and as a community we should not tolerate it. So, if your plan is to come into Thurston County with your buddies and do a lot of damage to our businesses and then flee, you’re going to want a better plan than that because that plan is no longer going to work for you.”
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