A 37-year-old Nordland man entered a pleading of not guilty on four charges in Jefferson County Superior Court Friday following his arrest after a high-speed police chase on Highway 20 last Wednesday.

Brian Steven Grace was arrested early in the morning of Dec. 16 on allegations of burglary and theft from a building after he fled police after getting pulled over during a traffic stop. 

He was charged late last week in court with second-degree burglary, felony eluding of a police vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and driving under the influence.

SEARCH AND CHASE

Deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area south of Port Townsend after someone in Glen Cove reported a suspicious vehicle on North Otto Street that had its lights off just after 11 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15.

The Glen Cove area is mostly industrial, and an officer who responded to the call noted in his report that with mostly businesses and storage facilities in the area, it was uncommon to find people around late at night. The area has also seen a recent spike in burglaries in storage units and closed businesses.

Two deputies responded to the call, and one started to patrol on foot.

The other saw a vehicle pull out of a driveway on North Otto Street north of Seton Road, and tried to stop the vehicle by waving his flashlight.

The deputy said the driver turned around and approached him slowly, with the driver’s window down.

But when the deputy identified himself, the driver sped away and turned onto
Highway 20.

The other deputy followed in his patrol car and started following the vehicle; a red Chevrolet Trailblazer. The officer watched as the Chevy fled south on the highway, cutting the corner at Highway 20 and Whiskey Road to make the turn.

The deputy said the driver crossed the center line several times, and turned on his lights and siren to get the driver to stop.

STOP AND GO

The driver pulled over in the 7400 block of Highway 20 and the deputy told him to put his hands out the window.

When the officer told the driver to shut off his vehicle, the man pulled his hands back inside and drove away, according to court documents.

Another deputy joined the pursuit, which hit speeds of 100 mph — twice the posted speed limit.

The driver in the Chevy continued to swerve over the center line and fog line, and when he slowed to 43 mph, an officer performed a Pursuit Intervention Technique maneuver and stopped the fleeing vehicle.

The Chevy spun out, hit a guardrail and came to a stop in the roadway.

The driver jumped out and ran into the woods, and two deputies gave chase, catching the driver and taking him into custody.

One deputy said he immediately recognized the driver as Grace, who has had previous contacts with police.

The chase went on for three miles, according to court documents, and Grace passed two cars that were going in the opposite direction and he could have endangered others with his driving, police alleged.

Grace does not have a driver’s license. Authorities also noted he had a warrant for his arrest in Kitsap County for statewide extradition.

STOLEN ITEMS RECOVERED

During a subsequent interview, Grace allegedly told police that he had seen a door “half open” at a Glen Cove business and went inside and took some items.

Police saw items that were suspected as stolen inside the Chevy and got a search warrant. The items were later identified by an Otto Street business owner as being stolen. 

Officers also found a large rollaway tool box left outside that had been taken from inside a warehouse.

When the owner of the business came to see what was stolen, he reported his hide-a-key was gone.

Police said they found the key in Grace’s pocket after his arrest.

Officers also found three ballasts in Grace’s vehicle. The man whose business was burglarized told officers his company manufactured the equipment, and the ballasts were valued at roughly $100 each.

Officers also found nine pills that were wrapped in foil in Grace’s possession. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the pills appeared to be oxycodone/fentanyl.

Grace was booked into the Jefferson County Jail just after 2:30 a.m. Dec. 16 on investigation of possession of a controlled substance, second-degree theft from a building, second-degree burglary, felony eluding of a police vehicle, and failure to obey an officer.

A charge of DUI driving was later added after an investigation by the Washington State Patrol. 

Grace appeared in Jefferson County Superior Court Friday via a video link from Jefferson County Jail.

After his pleading, trial was set for Feb. 8 to Feb. 11, with a pretrial hearing planned for Jan. 29.