Moses Lake Drive-By Shooting Leads to Dramatic Police Chase

A high speed chase ended in a crash and an arrest on Saturday night in Moses Lake.
Moses Lake police say officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 500 block of Yakima Avenue. Witnesses told police the suspect fired three rounds into the air before leaving the area.

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Officers later spotted the suspect’s vehicle on West Broadway Avenue and attempted a traffic stop at the westbound I-90 on-ramp when the driver sped away at high speed.
The suspect lost control while attempting to take Exit 174, crashing and kicking up large clouds of dirt that delayed officers from approaching. The driver ran from the scene but was located in a nearby field with the help of a police drone and taken into custody.
No injuries were reported in either the shooting or the crash.

The suspect, 30-year-old Austin Lee Johnston of Colbert was booked into Grant County Jail on charges of drive-by shooting, DUI, attempted theft of a motor vehicle, and attempting to elude police.