Woman reportedly held against her will jumps from moving car during Whatcom police chase
A woman who reportedly was being kept against her will jumped out of a moving car driven by a man attempting to evade Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies Tuesday afternoon.
Deputies are actively searching for Kevyn A. Johnannesson, 32, after establishing probable cause to arrest him on suspicion of eluding a police vehicle, unlawful imprisonment-domestic violence and driving with a suspended license, Chief Deputy Kevin Hester told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
A traffic deputy attempted to stop a vehicle Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 12, near the intersection of Arnie and Blaine roads in the Birch Bay area, Hester reported.
Rather than stopping, the vehicle sped off at speeds faster than 100 mph, according to Hester. It then reportedly tried to lose the chasing deputy in a residential area.
The deputy reported a female passenger appeared to be terrified and attempted to exit the vehicle, Hester reported, and, when the vehicle slowed down to make a U-turn, she jumped out of the vehicle while it was still moving.
The deputy stopped the pursuit to aid the victim, who suffered minor abrasions to her hands and legs, according to Hester.
She reported that she had been held against her will by Johnannesson.
Johannessen sped off while the deputy tended to the victim, Hester reported, but the car was later found abandoned in Birch Bay. A K9 track was unable to locate Johannesson, who also has a felony warrant out of Montana.
