Suspect ends up the river

An eluding suspect who ended his flight on an island in the Yakima River on Thursday morning was wanted for misdemeanor drug and driving offenses, Union Gap police said.

The 39-year-old man, who is from the Yakima area, was taken into custody on the island shortly after the pursuit began about 9:30 a.m. near 18th Street and Nob Hill Boulevard. A Union Gap officer waded out to the island to arrest the man, Sgt. Monty McNearney said.

A Union Gap officer spotted the man and recognized him as having arrest warrants, McNearney said. When the officer approached the man, he ran away.

After a short chase, the man returned to his vehicle and drove off recklessly on Nob Hill Boulevard and westbound Interstate 82, McNearney said. A couple of officers got behind him with their patrol cars, but he failed to stop for them before going east on Yakima Avenue.

He then drove south down the paved path on the Yakima Greenway before a locked gate forced him to bail out prior to Robertson Landing, near Nob Hill. He waded into the river and went to the island, where he apparently decided to end his flight.

He was booked into the Yakima County jail on suspicion of eluding police and other charges.