PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed charges against two of three men involved in a wild car chase through Sequim on Wednesday that police said followed a drug deal gone bad.
The man allegedly leading the chase, Christopher Lee Haltom, was not charged Friday.
“I don’t have probable cause showing,” Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Troberg said. “There are no charges at this point.”
Jeremy J. Paapke, 20, of Port Angeles was charged in Superior Court on Friday on investigation of second-degree assault, first-degree robbery, reckless driving and hit-and-run with property damage.
James E. Charles, 28, of Port Angeles was charged on investigation of first-degree robbery and second-degree assault.
Charges were not filed against Haltom, 29, who police said fled by car while Paapke, the driver, and Charles chased Haltom’s car at speeds of up to 80 mph through busy city streets and county roads shortly before schools let out at 3 p.m.
The chase ended when the two cars collided in the Paradise Restaurant parking lot at the corner of Hendrickson Road and North Sequim Avenue, just north of the Sequim school grounds.
Troberg said the city of Sequim could still consider charging Haltom with reckless driving in municipal court.
Troberg said his office was awaiting additional witness reports from the Sequim Police Department, which received a number of calls the day of the chase, at least one from a pedestrian claiming she was almost hit by one of the speeding cars.
Police report
Sequim police originally reported that the men were attempting to buy methadone.
Paapke and Charles gave Haltom about $400 cash to purchase the drug, police said.
Haltom took the money, got into his vehicle and fled, and Paapke and Charles pursued him, police said.
The chase ran along U.S. Highway 101 into Sequim, along several city streets and on surrounding Clallam County roads before Haltom’s car was hit by Paapke’s and pushed up onto a landscaped median, where it came to rest, police said.
At that point, a physical altercation took place between Haltom and Charles, police said.
Charles later told police he got his money back from Haltom.
When officers arrived, Haltom was fleeing from the scene. They chased him on foot and found him in a shed not far from the site of the Hendrickson Road collision, where he was taken into custody.
Officer Maris Turner, Sequim police spokeswoman, said there was no methadone recovered in the incident.
Witness reports of the chase began to stream into the Police Department beginning at about 2:54 p.m. Tuesday.
Police arrested Haltom on investigation of hit-and-run driving involving property damage, reckless driving, third-degree theft, possession of marijuana at 40 grams or less and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police arrested Paapke on investigation of second-degree robbery, second-degree assault and reckless driving, and Charles on investigation of second-degree robbery and second-degree assault.
All three remained in the Clallam County jail Saturday.
Paapke’s bond is $75,000 bond. Charles was originally held on $50,000 bond, which was reduced to $10,000. Haltom’s bail was set at $25,000.
________
Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
