WAPATO, Wash. — A traffic stop in Wapato nearly turned deadly when a man allegedly pulled a gun on a Yakima County Sheriff’s deputy and firing, leading to a high-speed chase. The suspect, identified as a resident of Modesto, California, is now in jail.
The incident began when the suspect was pulled over for a traffic stop in Wapato. After the deputy took down his information and returned to the suspect’s car, the suspect pulled a gun and fired at the deputy during a traffic stop. The deputy returned fire, but neither party was hit. The encounter escalated into a pursuit, with speeds reaching triple digits in a 35-mph zone, through multiple stop signs. The chase ended when the suspect crashed into a row of brush.
The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) revealed that the suspect also had a felony assault warrant related to a shooting in Sunnyside in March 2025. Judge Jeffrey Swan imposed a $1 million bail for each incident, totaling $2 million.
The deputy involved is currently on paid administrative leave. A local law enforcement agency is investigating the criminal aspect of the incident, while the sheriff’s office investigates administratively. They will review any available Axon video to ensure the deputy’s actions were within policy.
“People say they’re routine traffic stops. Well, they’re not routine to us…We’re always worried. And safety is our number one concern. We’re always expecting that whoever is in that vehicle is going to try to harm us in some way. And we’re always relieved when they don’t,” said YCSO PIO Casey Schilperoort.
YCSO engaged in 64 pursuits in 2025, down from 92 in 2024. Schilperoort says that car chases can become very dangerous for both parties, and that he’s glad that not only the deputy is okay, but that lethal force was not used on the suspect.
“That’s also important. That’s something that we don’t want to do, and we’re just happy to have this particular person out of our community because it appears that he entered our community and has chosen to do bad things in our community and to our community members,” Schilperoort said.
The suspect will appear in court on Tuesday, February 17, for his arraignment related to incident on February 10th.
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