Driver Makes Choice to Flee. With Air 1 Overhead, Deputies Deploy Spike Strips & PIT to End Pursuit

Driver Makes Choice to Flee from a Traffic Stop, but with Air 1 Overhead, Deputies Deploy Spike Strips and Eventually Use PIT Maneuver to End Pursuit

On June 20, 2025, just after midnight, a Spokane Valley Sergeant noticed a Chevy S-10 pickup traveling north on Vista Road. He observed that the truck was speeding (Radar: 38 mph in a posted 25 mph zone), had no licensed plate displayed, and had a defective taillight. As the vehicle approached the red light at Broadway Avenue, the driver, later identified as 35-year-old Christopher M. Frazier, slowed but failed to come to a complete stop as required by law before turning east.

When the Sergeant activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop, Frazier accelerated to approximately 50 mph despite the bright emergency lights behind him.

Strangely, Frazier veered to the right shoulder of the road but continued driving at a higher speed before suddenly breaking to a stop.

Suspicious of this behavior, the Sergeant stayed with his vehicle and told Frazier to turn the truck off and toss the keys out (see body cam video). Frazier did not comply and, instead, chose to make a U-turn, drive past the Sergeant and his patrol car, and go south on Sargent Road.

Frazier began zigzagging through the neighborhood streets, accelerating to approximately 40 mph (posted 25 mph zone) before slowing to turn onto another road.

On Bessie, he accelerated to approximately 40 mph, then slowed but failed to stop at the stop sign on Valleyway as he turned west.

With Frazier’s attempt to elude law enforcement solely for traffic violations, the Sergeant discontinued the effort to stop him and did not pursue him.

Soon after, the Air 1 Flight Crew, already airborne in the new Bell 505 helicopter, advised they were responding to assist.

A Deputy then observed Frazier driving southbound on Vista, where he turned off the truck's headlights as he recklessly traveled in the darkness at speeds exceeding the posted limit. The Deputy, with emergency lights activated, got behind the S-10, but Frazier turned west on the dirt road along the railroad tracks in another obvious attempt to elude law enforcement. Frazier cut through a parking lot and turned west on Sprague Avenue, still with his lights off.

Seconds later, Air 1 (see video) advised that they had a visual on Frazier, who was now northbound on Julia Street from E. Main Avenue. They then advised that Frazier turned west on Olive Avenue, spun a 360 circle, and then continued north on Julia Street, then west on E. Alki Avenue, north on Freya Street, and finally east on Trent Avenue.

At Trent and Havana Street, the Sergeant successfully deployed spike strips as Frazier turned south on Havana. With Air 1 providing real-time location updates, Deputies followed but still did not initiate a pursuit.

With the tires on the truck flat and speeds considerably lower, Frazier turned south into an alley in the 4200 block of Broadway before turning east on Alki. He continued east into the parking lot of the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds.

Now that unsuspecting motorists were out of danger, Deputies worked together to prevent Frazier’s ability to drive away or reenter public roadways. Still in the parking lot, southwest of the baseball stadium, a PIT maneuver was successful, and the S-10 was boxed in.

Still defiant and unwilling to surrender, Frazier jumped out of the truck and attempted to run on foot. (On the Air 1 video, you can see Frazier drop objects as he runs. Deputies later determined the objects were his cell phone and other items of non-evidentiary value.)

A K9 and partner were ready to capture Frazier, but as Deputies quickly closed the distance on him, the K9 was not deployed. Pursuing Deputies observed Frazier continually reaching toward his waistband, a common place for suspects to hide/carry firearms, but it became apparent Frazier was attempting to keep his pants from falling as he ran. Deputies gave commands for Frazier to stop and warnings that a Taser would be used if he didn’t, but Frazier continued running.

In the 200 block of N. Havana, after additional commands to stop and taser warnings were given, Frazier appeared to trip or fall into some grass, and he was placed in handcuffs. Frazier declined medical attention at the scene.

Through the investigation, Deputies developed probable cause to believe Frazier was driving while impaired. They were granted a valid search warrant to gain a blood sample for later testing. At the hospital, Frazier continued to be uncooperative despite being shown a valid search warrant. He was placed in soft hospital restraints, and a blood sample was obtained.

Frazier’s driver’s license was suspended, and he had two previous DUI convictions in the last 10 years.

Frazier was transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement Vehicle, DUI, and Driving while Suspended 2nd Degree.