Pierce County fire crews find driver of crashed car was armed and wearing body armor
PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. February 8, 2024— Firefighters in Pierce County had a close call earlier this week while responding to a car crash where the driver was armed with a handgun and wearing body armor.
The incident happened Sunday morning in South Hill at the intersection of 182nd Street and 78th Ave E.
Witnesses said a Toyota Prius crashed through a fence, and the driver was not alert and appeared to not be breathing, according to a report from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD).
A crew from the Graham Fire Department (GFD) arrived at the scene and began trying to help the driver, but quickly discovered he was armed with a gun and was wearing body armor.
“That caused quite a stir for the firefighters,” said Sgt. Darren Moss of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. “They were holding him down waiting for deputies to get there because they were unsure what they had, and to be honest, our deputies were unsure what they had.”
Firefighters said they were trying to get the driver, Colton Hunter, 28, out of the car when he reached for his gun. At that point, the firefighters held Hunter down until deputies arrived.
The sheriff’s report noted Hunter appeared to be under the influence of an opiate. In the Prius, deputies found foil with burn marks on it, a common method used to smoke fentanyl.
Deputies also located a glass smoking bong, a pistol, and a knife in the car.
Court records show Hunter has 12 prior felony convictions, including for charges related to drugs, burglary, and fleeing police.
He is being held in the Pierce County Jail on a $100,000 bail with new charges for unlawful possession of a firearm, possessing a stolen vehicle, and driving under the influence.
Deputies also noted there were items in the stolen vehicle that had been taken from a firefighter’s truck.
“Nobody was expecting the person who crashed their car to be wearing body armor.
Obviously, somebody who is wearing body armor is expecting to go up against somebody who is armed, more often than not, if they are a criminal, they are going to use that against police,” Moss said.
