Man Arrested After Allegedly Trying to Run Over Soap Lake Postmaster
A Grant County man is in jail after he allegedly tried to hit a postal employee with his car on Tuesday afternoon.
Police say 42-year-old Erik Milton first entered the Soap Lake Post Office where he was verbally abusive to the staff.
"Milton went into the post office and began screaming and cussing at one of the female clerks over mail that he claimed was missing," says Soap Lake Police Chief Ryan Cox. "Then he moved over to his post office box and was trying to reach his arm back into where the back room of the post office is, and that started making the staff nervous."
Cox says Milton then left the post office and waited in his car in the employee parking area before gunning his vehicle at another female staff member in a postal vehicle and the Soap Lake Postmaster, who was on foot.
"Milton got in his car and accelerated quickly towards the postal vehicle. Then he began accelerating his vehicle more towards the postmaster, coming within only a few inches of him. The postmaster thought he was going to be struck and ended up moving out of the way to spot where Milton's vehicle could not advance on him any farther."
Police say Milton has a history of public outbursts at the same post office.
He was later arrested at his home in Soap Lake and was booked into the Grant County Jail on one count of attempted assault and two counts of intimidating a public servant.