161 Rock-Throwing Cases Reported In King County; WSP Makes Arrest

Seattle WA

12 July, 2021

5:45 PM

Description

KING COUNTY, WA — Washington State Patrol has made another arrest linked to a growing number of rock-throwing incidents around the region. Troopers said a 911 caller reported a man throwing debris onto Interstate 90, near Rainier Avenue South in Seattle, around 4 a.m on Saturday. Troopers said a 35-year-old man was booked into jail, accused of reckless endangerment, malicious mischief and criminal trespass after he was medically cleared. According to WSP, no vehicles were hit in the Saturday incident. Two more rock-throwing incidents were reported in the same area early Monday morning, including one driver whose windshield was struck, troopers said. Investigators were unable to find the person witnesses described in both cases. Including the latest reports, WSP said it was aware of 161 rock-throwing incidents reported across King County so far this year, including nearly four dozen where they were thrown from overpasses. The rest of the cases involved rocks or debris thrown from the side of the freeway. In June, WSP announced a multi-agency effort to respond to rock-throwing incidents, particularly on Interstate 5 in Seattle and along the Interstate 90 corridor. The operation includes more troopers in the area and using traffic cameras to monitor areas with frequent reports. Troopers ask drivers to continue calling 911 when they see anything out of the ordinary, including pedestrians near the freeway.