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Moses Lake police hold men at gunpoint

STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years, 5 months AGO
by STAFF REPORT
| February 23, 2012 5:05 AM

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake police responded in force when a driver allegedly known to have a suspended license tried to evade a traffic stop.

When the vehicle was stopped on West Third Avenue at around 2 p.m. two of the occupants immediately got out of the vehicle and initially refused the commands of the officer, according to Moses Lake Police Capt. Dave Ruffin.

Backup was summoned and at least ten additional officers arrived within minutes.

Two males in their twenties were briefly held at gunpoint by several officers before being searched and released. The other two occupants, a male and a female who were also in their twenties, were told to get out of the car one at a time and were searched, also at gunpoint.

Ruffin said the driver, 26-year-old Michael Rocha, Moses Lake, was arrested and brought to the Moses Lake Police Department, where he was cited and released for driving while license suspended.

The street was blocked off for a short time and, a few blocks away, Frontier Middle School was locked down for about ten minutes toward the end of sixth period, according to the principal's secretary Susan Root.

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