2 Men Arrested For Shooting At WA State Trooper

SUNNYSIDE, WA - State police arrested two Adams County men on Thursday in connection to the Monday shooting of a Washington State Patrol trooper. Trooper Nate Dawson was in his car during the shooting and was not hit by any of the bullets.

State police arrested Manuel J. Aviles, 18, of Mabton, and Felipe Cortes-Barajas, 39, of Grandview on charges of first-degree assault, possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and drug charges.

The shooting happened around 9 p.m. Monday when Dawson tried to pull over a speeding car along SR 241 in Sunnyside. The car would not stop, and Dawson engaged in a chase that reached speeds of 100 MPH. The chase ended when the suspects pulled into the driveway of a home in Grandview. The two suspects allegedly opened fire on Dawson, hitting his car multiple times. The bullets came within inches of Dawson, even damaging his in-car computer.

The suspects ran from the area through a vineyard. Meanwhile, police searched for the suspects in a barn on the property where the shooting happened.

The men were arrested in Adams County by the state patrol SWAT team.

Image via WSP