Man strikes two deputies’ cars during chase in Spokane Valley, sheriff’s office says

A 26-year-old man led deputies on a car chase, going the wrong direction on Interstate 90 and crashing into two patrol cars, before fighting with the deputies on a steep embankment beside the freeway in Spokane Valley, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

After he was arrested early Sunday, the man, Tony G. Farb, told deputies he had run because he thought he was wanted for missing an appointment with his probation officer, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. But deputies found no active warrant for his arrest.

The chase began at about 2:10 a.m. when Deputy Joseph Wallace saw a Honda Civic breeze through a red light at Mansfield Avenue and Pines Road, the sheriff’s office said. Wallace flipped on his emergency lights to pull over the Civic on the westbound Pines freeway entrance, but the car did not pull over, the sheriff’s office said. When Wallace activated his siren, the driver of the Civic, later identified as Farb, accelerated.

Wallace called other deputies for assistance and pursued Farb until he exited the freeway at Argonne Road, the sheriff’s office said. Wallace then attempted a so-called PIT maneuver, in which a pursuing car pushes the rear end of a fleeing car sideways, causing it to lose control and stop.

But Farb slammed on his brakes and struck the side of Wallace’s patrol car, and because of the damage, Wallace was unable to pursue Farb as he got back on the freeway, going the wrong way on a westbound off-ramp, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputy Travis West picked up the pursuit and attempted another PIT maneuever on the freeway, but Farb slammed on his brakes again, causing a collision with West’s patrol car, the sheriff’s office said. Farb then swerved across several lanes, left his car in the median and ran across the eastbound lanes before darting up an embankment on the south side of the freeway, the sheriff’s office said.

Halfway up the hill, Farb fell with his hands underneath his body, and West jumped on top of him, the sheriff’s office said. As both deputies tried to put him in handcuffs, Farb refused to show his hands, reached toward his waistband and kicked his legs, at one point causing all three men to roll down the embankment, the sheriff’s office said. The deputies managed to arrest Farb on more level ground.

Farb was booked into the Spokane County Jail, where he remained Monday evening. He faces charges of obstructing and attempting to elude police, resisting arrest and driving with a suspended license. He also faces charges of drug possession and possession of a stolen vehicle from a previous arrest in Airway Heights.

Both of the deputies’ cars were pulled out of service for inspection and repairs.