PORT ANGELES — A 20-year-old Forks man faces a Jan. 4 trial after he was charged with attacking a West End police chief and kicking two other officers in the head.
Taylor Jacob Graham pleaded not guilty Friday to three counts of third-degree assault and single counts of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, obstructing a law enforcement officer and hit-and-run of an attended vehicle.
He is being held on $10,000 bail in the Clallam County jail.
Third-degree assault is a Class C felony, punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Forks police were tipped that Graham had intentionally backed a GMC truck into a 2014 Volkswagen Passat at the intersection of Forks Avenue and Division Street at about 12:19 p.m. Nov. 10, officer Brent Kempster wrote in the arrest report.
La Push Police Chief Bill Lyon, who heard a description of the truck Graham was driving over the radio, spotted Graham sitting in the overflow parking lot at Rialto Beach on the Quileute tribal reservation, according to the certification for probable cause.
Graham saw Lyon and was able to escape in the truck, making obscene hand gestures and swearing at the lawman as he left, court papers said.
Lyon pursued Graham in a fully marked police truck until Graham attempted to make a U-turn on Mora Road and became stuck in a ditch near the Dicky River Bridge, Lyon wrote in his arrest report.
Graham walked towards Lyon saying “Shoot me” and adding a profanity, court papers said.
Lyon drew his Taser and dropped Graham, who broke the wires and ran toward the river, the court paper said.
After a second Taser shot missed its target, Graham turned around and “took a full running charge” at the lawman, Lyon wrote.
“Graham struck me full force using his right arm elbow to hit me,” Lyon wrote in the arrest narrative.
“The impact sent us both to the ground.”
Fearing that Graham was going for his gun, Lyon pushed him away.
Graham used the opportunity to get to his feet and jump into the river, where he stood waist deep until Forks police and Fish and Wildlife officers arrived.
Graham cussed at the officers as they tried to persuade him to get out of the river, Kempster wrote in his report.
Officers eventually removed Graham from the river and placed him under arrest.
Graham refused medical treatment at the scene. He was taken to Forks Community Hospital for an evaluation.
“In the ER room, Graham continued to resist and kicked myself and La Push Wildlife Officer Anderson in the head while we attempted to secure him onto an exam table,” Kempster wrote.
“Graham also kicked EMT Tim Wade as he attempted to assist.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
