“COPS” ringtone seals the fate of Spokane Valley man attempting to evade deputies

Drew Reeves by Drew Reeves

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A Spokane Valley man who was attempting to flee from deputies was arrested after witnesses and his cell phone ringtone confirmed his identity.

On July 14, a Spokane Valley deputy saw a vehicle spin its tires and drive away quickly from a light at Sullivan and Broadway around 11:30 p.m. The deputy followed the driver, who was reaching speeds of 70 miles per hour. The driver did not pull over, despite the deputy having his lights on.

The driver, who was identified as 28-year-old Sean Kelley, then pulled into a parking lot and sped around a bar called the Sullivan Scoreboard. Deputies say he pulled into a gravel lot and turned off all his lights.

Deputies say Kelley then got out of his car, ignored orders from the deputy and ran into the bar.

The deputy went inside and was directed to Kelley by a witness. He had taken off his shirt and hat to chance his appearance.

Kelley was arrested, but denied he had tried to evade officers and claimed to have been at the bar for hours. He provided his name, address and phone number. When the deputy tried to call Kelley’s cell phone, he could hear the theme song to the TV show “COPS” coming from a cell phone inside the vehicle he’d been pursuing.

Kelley had a warrant for his arrest from a misdemeanor DUI charge and his license had been suspended. He now faces charges for Attempting to Elude a Police Vehicle, Obstructing and Driving while Suspended in the 3 rd Degree.

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