June 16, 2021
King County: The following statement is from Washington State Patrol Captain Ron Mead, Commander of Field Operations for District 2 (King County):
Given some erroneous information circulating in the media, we felt it important to ensure that any release of information concerning arrests or names potentially identifying suspects at this time is inaccurate.
“The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is aware of erroneous reports circulating in the media that we have made an arrest of the suspect in the theft of fallen SPD Officer Lexi Harris’ personal vehicle from the tragic collision that claimed her life along I-5 the morning of June 13th. Those reports are untrue, and the suspect in this case has NOT yet been arrested.
The WSP is aware of the intense media interest in this case and are committed to transparency and the sharing of information at the appropriate time and without endangering the investigation. Likewise, the WSP hopes to bring some level of closure to Officer Harris’ family and for the men and women of the Seattle Police Department by making an arrest in this case. WSP detectives and allied agencies are working tirelessly around the clock on this case, and the investigation has made significant progress. We will provide further updates when appropriate; now is not the appropriate time. When an arrest is made, the family will be the first to be notified, and then the information will be provided to the public.”
###