PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man convicted of eluding police less than a year ago allegedly kidnapped a 54-year-old woman, then led law enforcement on two high-speed chases Saturday, according to officials.
Nicholas R. Blood, 26, was booked into the Clallam County jail Saturday at 11:17 p.m. for investigation of eluding a police vehicle, second-degree kidnapping and reckless endangerment.
“There was so much disregard for public safety … we felt we had to intervene or he would kill somebody or himself,” said Sgt. Shaun Minks, who initiated the pursuits.
The incident started after a woman related to Blood reported at about 6:49 p.m. Saturday that Blood had kidnapped her.
He drove past her home and would not let her out of the vehicle, according to a Port Angeles Police Department news release.
“When she asked him to stop several times he held onto her, keeping her in the vehicle,” the report stated.
The man then drove westbound on U.S. Highway 101, north on Airport Road, east on Lauridsen Boulevard and then north on South L Street, according to the report.
The woman exited the vehicle while it was still moving and ran to a nearby home and used their phone to call for help, according to the report.
Minks, not yet aware the white Mazda pickup truck was linked to the kidnapping, flashed his headlights to warn Blood that his headlights were off as he passed him 10 minutes later on Highway 101 at Cameron Road.
That’s when Blood turned his lights on, turned around and closed the distance to the patrol vehicle, Minks said.
He then illegally passed Minks while in a no-passing zone and began weaving between lanes, traveling at about 80 mph, he said.
“He appeared to be provoking the pursuit,” Minks said. “I’ve never had someone intentionally pass me like that, looking for it.”
During the pursuit, Blood sped into oncoming traffic and at one point through the parking lot of an apartment complex, according to Minks.
The first seven-minute pursuit was called off because of “Blood’s reckless manner of driving and his obvious disregard for the safety of others and traveling at speeds up to 95 mph,” according to a news release.
At about 7:11 p.m., there were numerous reports of the same vehicle driving recklessly westbound on state Highway 112 without headlights on.
By ending the first pursuit, the hope was Blood would stop driving recklessly, Minks said.
“Once we back off a pursuit, the suspect usually gets away and they are happy with that,” he said.
Two more deputies responded to the area and set stop sticks to halt the vehicle. Blood’s front right tire was punctured, but the stop sticks didn’t slow him down, the report said.
Minks then resumed his pursuit of Blood as he turned from Highway 112 east onto Highway 101. Blood sped up to 105 mph and toward oncoming traffic during this pursuit while driving into Port Angeles, where he made several evasive maneuvers, according to Minks.
Minks said during the second pursuit, which lasted about 15 minutes, Blood led him throughout much of Port Angeles, often taking tight turns and blowing stops signs and red lights.
“He was just playing cat and mouse and wanted us chasing,” Minks said.
Minks performed a PIT maneuver at the intersection of Highway 101 and Doyle Road after Blood had slowed down to about 40 mph and there was no traffic, the report says.
Two other deputies used their patrol vehicles to pin the vehicle and prevent Blood from “driving away and endangering the community,” the reports says.
Three PAPD officers and an officer from the Lower Elwha Police Department were on scene within moments of the vehicle being stopped.
When Blood was removed from his truck, he became combative with law enforcement, the release stated. He was arrested by about 7:36 p.m.
Blood was released from jail Oct. 23 after serving eight months for third-degree assault of an officer and eluding police, records state.
Eluding a police vehicle and third-degree assault are both Class C felonies and can carry up to a year in prison. He pleaded guilty to those charges in May.
Blood was also convicted of second-degree trafficking stolen items in 2011, also a Class C felony.
He was sentenced to 15 days in jail, which were converted to 120 hours of community service.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.