By Peninsula Daily News sources
EDITOR’S NOTE — The name and age of the person arrested have been corrected; they were wrong in initial law enforcement report. The name of the Olympic National Park ranger has been added.
FORKS — A 27-year-old man is facing a host of charges after police say he stole a car, led officers on a high-speed chase and used a Taser on a sheriff’s deputy.
Dale Langevin is accused of stealing a Nissan Versa at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday from the Forks Shell Station, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
A delivery man spotted Langevin getting into the car — the keys had been left in the ignition — and went into the store to tell the owner his car had been stolen, according to deputies.
The victim and the store owner followed the stolen car east on U.S. Highway 101, reaching speeds of 85 mph.
An Olympic National Park ranger spotted the car on Highway 101 in the park, driving east of the Fairholme General Store/campground at Lake Crescent.
When the ranger, Art Sandison, hit his emergency lights and attempted to stop the car, deputies say Langevin made a U-turn in the middle of the road and began driving into oncoming traffic.
He swerved around a logging truck and forced several other vehicles off the road at Fairholme hill before a sheriff’s deputy, Gene Hoagland, caught up with him several minutes later.
The man eventually pulled over and got out of the car, but Hoagland said he refused all commands given to him. He finally gave up after the deputy threatened to use a Taser stun gun on him.
It looked like the tense situation might end peacefully, but when Hoagland tried to cuff Langevin, he resisted, according to the sheriff’s office.
During the scuffle, Langevin was able to knock the Taser out of Hoagland’s hand. He picked it up and and fired it at the deputy, hitting him with one of the Taser probes, according to the sheriffs office.
The struggle continued, and Hoagland and the park ranger were able to subdue and handcuff Langevin.
Langevin faces charges of felony eluding, possession of stolen property, theft of a motor vehicle, first degree assault, attempting to disarm a police officer and resisting arrest, the sheriff’s office said.
He remained in the Clallam County jail on Friday with no bond set. His hometown was not identified.
Initial sheriff’s reports misspelled Langevin’s name and said his age was 16.
