Man accused of coffee stand robberies, pursuit held without bail

TACOMA, Wash. — A man who is accused of robbing coffee stands and leading police on a chase that involved a Washington state trooper shooting at his car is being held without bail until his arraignment.

The News Tribune reports the 34-year-old suspect was arrested Friday on suspicion of assault and eluding police.

Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Sabrina Ahrens found probable cause to hold the man until Wednesday. He is expected to be arraigned that afternoon.

Authorities say he used a knife to rob a Mount Vernon coffee stand and then one in Bremerton on Friday.

The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office started pursuing the man after the second robbery.  Washington State Patrol spokeswoman Johnna Batiste says officials from multiple agencies pursued the man into Pierce County.

Batiste says a trooper fired five shots at the car and a spike strip was also used to try and stop the vehicle in the area of SR 16 and northbound I-5.

The spike strip was ineffective and the driver continued, hitting two other vehicles before trying to turn the wrong way on the freeway and getting stuck between concrete barriers in a construction zone, Batiste said Friday. He was arrested after exiting the vehicle and fleeing up the 38th Street on-ramp, she said.

No one was injured.  The suspect will be identified when he is formally charged.

Tacoma Police will investigate the trooper who fired shots during the incident, Batiste said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report