SeaTac Police / King County Sheriff’s Office are warning “It’s one thing to be asleep at the wheel. It’s another to be a convicted felon caught snoozing with a weapon in the car…”:

On Mar. 21, 2021 at 4:49 a.m., SeaTac deputies were called to a gas station in the 16400 block of Military Road South to check on a male asleep in a vehicle, blocking a gas pump. The 911 caller reported the man had been there for roughly an hour and a half.

When deputies arrived, they found the male asleep in his SUV. A black handgun was visible in the open center console, within arm’s reach of the sleeping man. Deputies woke the male, identified themselves, and removed the gun from the vehicle.

The male appeared confused and ignored verbal commands to exit the vehicle and instead attempted to retrieve the keys from the passenger’s seat. Deputies managed to get the man out of the vehicle without incident.

A run of the male’s identification card showed he is a convicted felon for Murder in the 2nd degree and Burglary. The seized firearm was a .45 caliber with a fully loaded magazine with one round in the chamber. As a convicted felon, the man is not allowed to possess a gun.

The suspect, a south King County resident, was booked into the King County Jail for Felony Investigation of Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA).

As a reminder, we do not show suspect’s faces until they have been formally charged.

Photos courtesy King County Sheriff’s Office