Woman arrested after stealing car, ramming patrol car and causing standoff in Airway Heights

AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — A woman was arrested for stealing a car, ramming into a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office patrol car, and causing a standoff at the Heights Motel Monday evening.

According to SCSO, deputies saw 30-year-old Sadie M. Brown driving a stolen vehicle on South Craig Road toward Highway 2 around 5:45 p.m. Monday.

The deputy ran the car’s license plate and confirmed it was the one reported stolen. When the deputy started driving behind the car, waiting for backup, Brown pulled into the parking lot of the Heights Motel.

SCSO said the deputy told Brown to turn off the car and put her hands out of the window. Instead, Brown put the car in reverse and slammed into the SCSO patrol car several times.

The deputy moved the car each time to limit Brown’s space and prevent her from escaping. More law enforcement, including a K9 unit, Airway Heights Police, Kalispel Tribal Police, and Spokane Police, responded to help and gave Brown multiple commands to stop.

SCSO said Brown got out of the car, yelled that she had a gun, and ran into a motel room. She continued to yell that she was armed while the police told her to surrender. The sheriff’s office said Brown was a convicted felon with arrest warrants and was not allowed to have a gun.

SCSO started getting a search warrant as SWAT, crisis negotiators and behavioral health units responded.

Just before 7:30 p.m., Brown came out the motel room door. SCSO said she was bleeding from what looked like self-inflicted cuts to her arm. Brown was taken into custody and claimed she took a handful of pills when she entered the room.

Investigators found a bag containing what they believe to be meth, several pieces of suspected drug paraphernalia, a powder that looked to be either fentanyl or cocaine, several pills, six cell phones and other items.

Once she was medically cleared, Brown was booked into Spokane County Jail for possession of a stolen motor vehicle, attempting to elude law enforcement, malicious mischief, obstructing, intimidating a public servant, making false statements, and possession of a controlled substance.

She’s also being held on warrants for theft, violating a protection order, and a Washington State Department of Corrections Escape Community Custody Hold.