Man charged in I-5 police standoff, accused of throwing fish tank

Man faces charges for pitchfork assault, I-5 traffic chaos

King County Prosecutors have filed charges against a man accused of throwing various items onto I-5 in Seattle and assaulting a trooper on Friday.

SEATTLE - The man armed with a pitchfork accused of throwing a glass fish tank into I-5 traffic now faces criminal charges.

On Wednesday, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed charges of assault and reckless endangerment against 53-year-old Michael Straightwell.

"This is somebody who we think is a danger because of his alleged behavior," said Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office. "These are very serious offenses. What we showed the court is this could have very easily turned deadly or had a serious injury."

The rampage happened Friday evening in Seattle on I-5 northbound lanes near the Olive Way exit. Seattle Police said Straightwell was standing above the interstate on the Boren Avenue overpass. Court documents revealed the suspect threw items from a nearby homeless encampment, including a Lime scooter, a knife, a propane tank, used needles, and clothes soaked in urine.

"And that’s the reason why we shut the Olive ramp down initially, because we don’t want more debris to come down and strike vehicles and possibly injure somebody," said Trooper Rick Johnson of Washington State Patrol.

Officials said not only did the items thrown hit a car, Straightwell was also armed with an eight-inch knife and pitchfork. Washington State Patrol accused him of throwing a pole at a trooper, which court documents said cut the trooper’s finger.

Court documents state Straightwell ignored several police commands to stop throwing items into the road. As the suspect allegedly began throwing items at law enforcement, court documents said one trooper deployed his taser three times, striking Straightwell in the leg, back, and his clothing.

Crisis negotiators were called to the scene. Officials said after several attempts to deter Straightwell, the SWAT Team took over and made the arrest. The standoff shut down traffic for about two hours on I-5 northbound lanes.

"The State Patrol did the right thing even though it was inconvenient for everybody to have it shut down like that. We’re very fortunate that people weren’t hurt here," said McNerthney. "That affects so many people’s lives and everybody drives down I-5 like that, whether you’re in a bus or a car. And to victimize somebody at random like that is so dangerous."

Prosecutors said Straightwell was considered a danger. The suspect has had previous encounters with the law. Court documents stated his criminal history included theft, carrying a concealed weapon, use of a weapon, and property destruction.

McNerthney said prosecutors have received cases on Straightwell before.

"It’s certainly possible that mental health concerns may come up on the ongoing court case, but we’ll address those if or when they come up," said McNerthney.

A judge set bail at $100,000 during a probable cause hearing on Saturday. Straightwell is scheduled for an arraignment on the charges within the next two weeks.