Bothell man pleads guilty to plowing vehicle into police car; wanted for Kirkland burglaries

A Bothell man pleaded guilty Wednesday to assaulting a Bothell police officer with his vehicle in connection with an incident on July 17.

Joseph Thomas Medoro, 32, will face a maximum of 25 years in prison at sentencing next month for second-degree assault, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm. He could face other charges in King County in connection with burglaries in Kirkland.

Medoro attempted to ram his Pontiac Grand Am into a Bothell police car during a traffic stop for expired tabs last summer. The officer was not in the car at the time and had drawn his weapon to take Medoro into custody. After ramming the police car, Medoro drove at the officer while attempting to flee from the scene, according to court documents.

"(It) happened right after, when I was driving away and refused to immediately stop, drove in a reckless manner (running stop signs, speeding at high speeds, etc.)," stated Medoro in court documents.

Medoro was able to elude police and the car was found abandoned in a nearby neighborhood. After a short search, a police K9 tracked down Medoro in a nearby wooded area.

Medoro was under community custody at the time for a previous conviction that included eluding police. He was also wanted on felony charges in connection with a rash of burglaries in Kirkland.

Medoro had a pistol in the vehicle, which he knew was a violation of his prior felony conviction for possession of methamphetamines. Medoro was also found to have $4,000, a half pound of heroin, methamphetamines, a marijuana scale and other drug paraphernalia in hisback pack when he was arrested, court documents continued.

The officer recognized Medoro during the traffic stop as someone he had dealt with before, according to court documents. A $20,000 fine could also accompany the sentencing in Snohomish County.

David Gehrke, Medoro's attorney, plans to provide the court with mental health information prior to sentencing that he said in court documents will explain some of his client's recent and past issues with the law.

His criminal history began when he was just 13 when he was charged with malicious mischief. In 1996, Medoro was convicted of his first felony for car theft when he was 15.

Medoro has been convicted of 11 felonies since 2004. He was released from prison in December 2011 after serving nearly five years for possession of stolen property and methamphetamines. He also has three previous convictions for attempting to elude police.

The state is requesting nearly 20 years in prison. The sentencing range is much more strict because the assault was perpetrated on a police officer in the line of duty, said Snohomish County Court prosecutors.

 

Contact Bothell Reporter Regional Assistant Editor Matt Phelps at editor@bothell-reporter.com or 1-425-483-3732 (ext 5050).

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