SEQUIM — A Sequim man with three local felony warrants out for his arrest led deputies on a high-speed chase from Sherburne Road west of Sequim to the west side of Port Angeles before he was taken into custody.
Leslie James Paranteau, 34, of Sequim remained in the Clallam County jail on Saturday with a bail of $240,000.
He was taken into custody on outstanding warrants, including one from the state Department of Corrections, and for investigation of obstructing a law enforcement officer, attempting to elude a police vehicle, failure to register as a sex offender, DUI and reckless endangerment.
In a press release, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office gave this account:
At about 10:13 a.m. Thursday, deputies initiated a traffic stop on a green 1995 Toyota 4-Runner with no license plates traveling eastbound on U.S. Highway 101 just west of Sherburne Road in Sequim.
The vehicle turned onto Sherburne Road and into the oncoming lane of traffic before coming to a stop.
Deputies recognized Paranteau and were aware of warrants out for his arrest, which were confirmed by dispatchers.
When they contacted him, Paranteau fled in his vehicle eastbound on Atterberry Road, reaching speeds of about 70 mph.
Deputies said that he slowed as he approached Hooker Road and a female left the vehicle while it was still moving. The unidentified woman was last seen walking away from Paranteau’s vehicle, deputies said.
The pursuit continued eastbound to Taylor Cuttoff Road, where Paranteau turned westbound on Highway 101. Deputies stayed with him, at speeds of 70-75 mph, and reported that he threw items out the window near Carlsborg Road.
Clallam County Sgt. John Keegan deployed spike strips in the 3200 block of E. Highway 101 in Port Angeles, the sheriff’s office said, but his attempt to disable Paranteau’s vehicle was ineffective and the pursuit continued west through Port Angeles.
On Lauridsen Boulevard near C Street, a deputy used a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) on Paranteau’s vehicle, causing it to spin into the oncoming lane of traffic, where it collided with a Chevrolet pickup truck traveling westbound on Lauridsen.
No injuries were reported as a result of the collision, the sheriff’s office said.
Paranteau was stopped but refused to leave the vehicle when deputies ordered him away from it, the sheriff’s office reporting that he locked himself in and moved over to the passenger seat.
A deputy deployed his stun gun through the front driver’s side window, which was partially open, the sheriff’s office said.
The stun gun incapacitated Paranteau and deputies were able to break the driver’s side window and take him into custody without further injury.
Paranteau was taken to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles where he was processed for investigation of driving under the influence of drugs and medically cleared for incarceration.
He was booked into the Clallam County jail at 1:09 p.m.
