Shanon Leath Washington led cops on dangerous chase through Toowoomba CBD before ramming police vehicle

A 31-year-old man led police on a dangerous chase through busy Toowoomba streets in a stolen vehicle which he used to ram a cop car. Details here.

A 31-year-old man who led police on a dangerous pursuit through Toowoomba’s CBD in a stolen car only stopped after he rammed into a police vehicle with officers inside.

Shanon Leath Washington had two women and two teenagers with him in the stolen car which was tracked by PolAir and ground crews as he drove from Highfields into Toowoomba about 9.30am on June 15.

From above, the police helicopter operator could see the stolen vehicle was dangerously overtaking and tailgating other vehicles on the highway, police prosecutor Kinsley Weir told Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

Despite police successfully deploying “stingers”, bursting the car’s tyres, Washington had driven on, at times at speeds of about 100km/h on Rockville streets before turning toward the CBD, she said.

Shanon Leath Washington is treated by paramedics after his dramatic arrest following a dangerous pursuit through Toowoomba’s CBD. Picture: Rhylea Millar

Washington was seen to swerve the car over to the wrong side of the road and drive through several red lights before forcing other cars off the road as he crossed onto the wrong side of the road on Mort St, Senior Constable Weir said.

As the stolen car entered Margaret St, a female passenger was seen to lean out of the car’s window while sitting on the door frame and give “the finger” to police, she said.

Washington had then driven the stolen vehicle into the rear of a police car, causing considerable damage, and slightly injuring the officers inside the police car, the court was told.

Washington then refused to get out of the car and had to be dragged through the window which was smashed by a police baton, Senior Constable Weir said.

Washington had only been released on parole two months earlier having served a term for similar offending near Kingaroy, the court heard.

Despite police successfully deploying tyre deflation devices, the 31-year-old had driven on in this stolen vehicle until ramming a police car. Thursday, June 15, 2023. Picture: Rhylea Millar

Washington appeared via videolink from Woodford Correctional Centre to plead guilty to a total 21 offences arising from the police pursuit, including evasion, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and obstructing police, as well as to unrelated matters committed over a one-month period.

Senior Constable Weir said Washington had a 12-page criminal history including similar offending and he was on parole at the time.

“He has a complete disregard for other road users, in a stolen car, passengers sitting out the windows, he’s running red lights … and rammed into a police car,” she said.

Washington’s solicitor Ryan McCullough, of MacDonald Law, told the court his client was a father of two who had struggled with meth addiction soon after leaving high school though he was now on the Subutex program.

However, Mr McCullough said drugs were not the major factor in this offending and his client claimed he had “snapped” after having difficulty seeing his children.

The dramatic arrest after the 31-year-old had led police on a dangerous chase through Toowoomba streets in a stolen car on Thursday, June 15, 2023. Picture: Rhylea Millar

Magistrate Louise Shephard said if she were to jail him on the dangerous operation sentence, it had to be cumulative on Washington’s current term but she would reduce the head sentence so the penalty wasn’t “crushing” in keeping with the legislation.

“This was protracted, it was putting road users clearly at risk, it’s a miracle there wasn’t an accident and they ran into a police vehicle with the police officers in the vehicle,” she said.

Ms Shephard sentenced Washington to two years in jail but, declaring 152 days pre-sentence custody as time served, ordered he be eligible for parole as of July 15, 2024.