$100k bail for man accused of throwing Lime Scooter onto I-5

$100K bail for man accused of throwing Lime Scooter onto I-5 | FOX 13 Seattle

FOX 13 has obtained new documents which now paints a better picture of what unfolded during an hours-long standoff on I-5 causing havoc Friday night.

SEATTLE - The man arrested after throwing various items onto northbound I-5 in Seattle, including a fish tank and Lime Scooter, made his first court appearance over the weekend.

The incident shut down lanes and caused a traffic backup for several hours on Friday.

On Saturday, a judge set 53-year-old Michael James Straightwell’s bail at $100,000, according to the King Couny Prosecutor's Office.

FOX 13 obtained the probable cause statement on Sunday, which now paints a better picture of what unfolded.

In it, Washington State Trooper Jatin Kaushal described seeing someone throw debris on the interstate while he was patrolling I-5 near Olive Way on August 9. That debris appeared to be a Lime Electric Scooter, as well as other things that partially blocked the ramp.

He looked for the suspect, but couldn’t find him and cleared the scene, according to the documents. About 20 minutes later, WSP got reports about someone throwing debris again, from the same location. The trooper went back to the scene. Two other troopers also headed there.

Around that time, Kaushal reported, debris hit a car. Fortunately, police told FOX 13 on Friday that there were no injuries. Seattle police also arrived on scene around that time and that’s when both agencies spotted Straightwell.

Police told Fox 13, when a trooper tried to approach him, the suspect hit the trooper with what appeared to be a metal pole.

According to the probable cause, law enforcement later spotted a knife in Straightwell’s hand and at one point, they say Straightwell also ran toward them swinging a large wooden object. When they ordered him to drop those objects, he did not listen, the report said.

They also tried to tase him, but was unsuccessful, according to WSP. The suspect later threw the knife into oncoming traffic. Police found that knife and it is now in evidence.

After nearly four hours, the swat team took Straightwell into custody.

The trooper also saw two tents under the overpass, along with an area with tarps and chairs, among other things, according to the documents.

The King County Prosecutor’s Office told FOX 13, the court found probable cause for multiple offenses in this case including: assault with a deadly weapon and assault against a trooper.

Straightwell’s next court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.