A suspected impaired driver in Washington state was taken into custody after a tense 40-minute standoff, with newly released body camera video showing police sending a K-9 through the driver’s side window to help end the confrontation.
The Vancouver Police Department on Thursday released body camera and dash camera footage from the July 26 incident, which began as a pursuit and ended when K-9 Midas jumped into the vehicle through the driver’s side window as officers moved in to arrest the suspect.
Authorities said officers were called after several reports described a driver who appeared impaired, had allegedly passed out behind the wheel and was seen inhaling from compressed air cans while driving.
K-9 Midas was used during a 40-minute standoff with a suspected impaired driver in Vancouver, Wash., according to police. (Vancouver Police Department)
When officers found the vehicle, police said they saw the driver continuing to inhale from a can and attempted to pull the vehicle over.
The driver did not comply, according to investigators. Footage released by the department shows the vehicle hitting a curb, speeding up and nearly veering into a yard while trying to get away from police.
Police said the driver’s behavior created an immediate threat to other motorists and pedestrians, leading an officer to deploy a Grappler device that successfully disabled and stopped the vehicle.
But the confrontation did not end there. Even after the vehicle was stopped, the driver repeatedly ignored officers’ commands to exit, police said.
Police used a Grappler device to stop a vehicle after officers said the driver refused to pull over and posed a danger to others on the road. (Vancouver Police Department)
Officers spent more than 40 minutes communicating with the driver and evaluating multiple options to gain compliance, including a 40 mm less-lethal launcher and pepper balls.
Police said the driver continued inhaling from compressed air cans throughout the standoff and refused repeated commands to surrender.
After multiple warnings, officers deployed K-9 Midas through the driver’s side window.
The video shows officers quickly surrounding the vehicle after the K-9 entered the car before safely taking the driver into custody.
Officers take Brandon Wells into custody after a 40-minute roadside standoff in Vancouver, Wash., police said. (Vancouver Police Department)
The suspect, Brandon Wells, was booked into the Clark County Jail on charges of attempting to elude police, driving under the influence, reckless driving and resisting arrest.
