Port Angeles man charged with eluding, obstructing

PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man now charged twice in five months with attempting to elude a pursuing police car is expected to be arraigned on the most recent charge today.

Christopher Michael White, 24, is set to appear in Clallam County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m. after he was charged Monday with one count each of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and obstructing a law enforcement officer.

These charges stem from White’s alleged flight from Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Murphy on Oct. 2 after Murphy pulled him over in the 100 block of Lewis Road in the Carlsborg area.

White allegedly sped away as Murphy approached White’s car on foot, according to Murphy’s account, with the deputy briefly pursuing White in his patrol car until speeds became to high for the county road.

The car, with two unidentified passengers, was later found damaged after it hit a power pole in the 800 block of Lewis Road.

The two passengers were treated on the scene for minor injuries, with one being taken to Olympic Medical Center.

White was arrested by Sgt. Randy Pieper of the Sheriff’s office a short time later on nearby Heuhslein Road.

White remained in the Clallam County jail Thursday on $25,000 bail, according to Superior Court records.

Deputy accounts

On Oct. 2, deputies said they were looking for a specific car after store security at the east Port Angeles Walmart called 9-1-1 at 4 p.m. to report a car associated with a recent shoplift was in the store parking lot.

Murphy saw the car driving east on U.S. Highway 101 and found White to be the driver, deputies said.

On June 10, White was arrested in the woods near the 200 block of Bishop Road, off state Highway 112, after allegedly leading a Lower Elwha Klallam tribal police officer on a car chase at speeds up to 100 mph.

White eventually was found in the woods off Bishop Road with the help of tribal police, deputies, State Patrol troopers and Port Angeles Police Officer Lucas DeGand and police dog Bogey.

Bogey was allowed to bite White after White reportedly refused to come out from a stand of bushes, according to police accounts.

White was treated and released into police custody from Olympic Medical Center for bite wounds on his right arm.

White later was charged with one count of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and is slated to appear in Superior Court for a case status hearing Nov. 1.

________

Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.

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