SPOKANE VALLEY -- A 16-year-old boy took police on a high speed chase after they tried to pull him over.
The pursuit started just after midnight in Mead when a sheriff's deputy attempted to pull over the driver. It took a long chase and a sheriff's helicopter to catch the teenager.
"It was a difficult chase because in this case, the deputy was by himself. It was in a remote area. During the chase, they stayed in fields so it was tougher for the deputy to be able to tell where they are at and where they were headed." said Corporal Dave Ellis with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.
Corporal Ellis had a bird-eye view of the pursuit from the sheriff's helicopter. He called out directions of the suspect to other responding units.
The chase began 15 minutes after midnight when a sheriff's deputy attempted to stop the driver of the Ford pickup for suspicion of DUI. The 16-year-old driver had other plans, and took of eastbound on Farwell Road into some fields near the Green Bluff area.
Authorities say at one point, someone opened the back window of the truck and pointed an object at the deputy. The helicopter crew warned him. The deputy tried a total of three pit stop maneuvers to try and stop the driver, then the chase continued into a muddy field.
About 15 minutes from the time the chase started, the deputy is finally able to end the chase. Other officers quickly arrive and take the three people in the vehicle into custody. Authorities tell us they found a hand gun beneath a seat and several bullets on the floor.
Officers arrested the 16-year-old for driving under the influence and one 20-year-old passenger on a felony warrant for escape from community custody. The third person was released.
