Police break window to arrest chase suspect

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

POST FALLS — Police had to break a truck window to arrest a man accused of damaging a fence, vehicle and utility pole during a pursuit in Post Falls Sunday night, a police report states.

Dwayne E. Best, 53, Rathdrum, was booked into the Kootenai County jail for excessive DUI, eluding, obstructing and leaving the scene of an accident.

"There were several pieces of property damaged during the incident," Post Falls Police Chief Scot Haug said. "Even before we tried to stop him, he damaged a vehicle and a light pole. The officer needed to stop him in a hurry because there was so much damage. Thankfully nobody was hurt.

"At 8 p.m. on a Sunday there is still a lot of traffic out and, with him blowing stop signs, there could've been serious injuries."

The chase ended when Best's truck became stuck in a yard near the intersection of William Street and Mullan Avenue.

"Officers broke a window when the driver wouldn't respond to get out," Haug said, adding the door was locked.

Despite being stuck, Best allegedly continued to press the gas pedal trying to get the truck free, the police report states.

Officers approached the truck with K9 Andor, which resulted in Best eventually complying with orders, the report states.

One of the officers received minor cuts due to the broken glass.

The alleged incident started when a motorist reported the truck was eastbound in a westbound lane in the area of Polston and Goude. The caller followed the truck for a while and reported it struck various fixed objects and ran over a curb.

The truck eventually sped away from the caller, who lost sight of it, the police report states.

A short time later, an officer found the truck headed westbound on Seltice Way from Idaho Street and noted a poor driving pattern.

When the officer initiated a traffic stop, Best allegedly made an immediate right over a snow bank into the parking lot of AutoZone.

The truck sped through the parking lots before turning right onto William and crashing through a fence of a home.

Haug said the officer was concerned the truck would hit another vehicle or crash into a house. The front end of the patrol car sustained about $2,500 in damages during the alleged incident.

"The suspect rammed the patrol car trying to escape," Haug said.

The truck spun into another yard across the street before it became stuck.

Best originally refused to take a breathalyzer test, but later agreed and, when he did, his blood-alcohol content was .277 one time and .266 the next, the police report states. Those levels are more than three times the legal limit of .08.

Best has a 20-year criminal history that includes other DUIs, probation violation, leaving the scene of an accident, battery, eluding and drugs.