Rangers Assist In Hunt For Man Who Assaulted Officer

On Sunday, May 27th, Washington State Patrol officers asked the park for assistance during a pursuit of a motorcyclist who was headed into the park. The incident began on Highway 20 outside of Marblemount when a trooper attempted to stop the motorcyclist for traffic violations. The pursuit continued up Cascade River Road, where the operator finally stopped at Marble Creek campground in a Forest Service area adjacent to the park. A foot chase ensued, during which the suspect circled around behind the trooper and stole his patrol vehicle. He then tried to run over the trooper, at which time the trooper shot at and wounded him. The man continued on down Cascade River Road, where he eventually crashed the patrol car. Rangers set up checkpoints along the road; a Skagit County canine unit was brought in to search for the man and eventually found him. Ranger Andy Blake provided EMS until an ambulance arrived on scene. The man was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He appeared to be under the influence of alcohol when arrested and was found to have several outstanding misdemeanor warrants posted against him.