A Seattle police lieutenant deliberately collided her patrol SUV with a suspect’s vehicle Friday to prevent what appeared to be an intentional attack on a pedestrian in West Seattle.
Lieutenant Heidi Tuttle observed erratic driving behavior when a Prius “shot out from Southwest Othello onto 47th,” nearly clipping her patrol vehicle. The suspect vehicle then swerved dangerously, almost striking another car head-on and narrowly missing a pedestrian while avoiding three additional vehicles.
Tuttle recognized the driver’s behavior as potentially targeting a specific individual. “Once he crossed Fauntleroy to the east side of the street, he gunned it towards the guy. The victim jumped out of the street,” she recounted.
The situation escalated when the suspect executed a three-point turn, apparently positioning to target the same pedestrian again. Tuttle made a split-second decision to intervene physically, driving her SUV into the Prius to prevent the assault.
“He was 15-20 feet from hitting the guy,” Tuttle explained, describing the proximity when she executed the blocking maneuver.
Following the collision, the suspect abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot. Witnesses photographed the fleeing individual, enabling officers to locate and arrest him less than a mile from the scene. The 29-year-old man was booked into King County Jail for investigation of assault.
The incident demonstrates the complex decision-making police officers face when witnessing crimes in progress. Tuttle’s intervention required assessing immediate threat levels and choosing between allowing potential serious injury or using her vehicle as a protective barrier.
Lieutenant Tuttle brings 28 years of Seattle Police Department experience to such situations, having served in patrol, community outreach, and various specialized roles. She is scheduled for promotion to Captain and will assume command of the South Precinct on September 17.
The use of patrol vehicles to stop suspect vehicles involves significant risk and typically requires immediate threat assessment. Police departments nationwide have developed protocols for such interventions, balancing officer safety, public protection, and suspect welfare.
West Seattle’s street configuration, with multiple arterials and residential areas, creates scenarios where officers must make rapid decisions about traffic enforcement and public safety intervention.
The successful arrest demonstrates coordination between patrol response and witness assistance in identifying fleeing suspects in urban environments.
