IT is the FT Lewis SOILDER....HE IS DA MAN....
Blankenship_Fort Lewis Soldier Connected to Another I-5 Shooting
The Olympian ^ | 10/23/02 | ASP
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......Gotta wonder if this may be connected to search now going on in Tacoma
Fort Lewis soldier connected to another I-5 shooting
Blankenship RUTH LONGORIA THE OLYMPIAN On the Web Fort Lewis: www.lewis.army.mil
Thurston County Sheriff's Office: www.thurstonsheriff.org
Washington State Patrol: www.wa.gov/wsp/wsphome.htm
An early Sunday vehicle shooting between Maytown and Grand Mound has been linked to a Fort Lewis soldier suspected of similar shootings in Lacey and Lewis County, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office. Sgt. Jeremiah Daniel Blankenship, 22, pleaded not guilty Thursday and is being held in Lewis County Jail on $1 million bail on charges of first-degree assault with a firearm and driving under the influence. His trial is set for Nov. 25.
Blankenship is suspected of firing a 20-gauge shotgun at a passing motorist at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday between Grand Mound and Centralia.
Charges are expected to be filed against Blankenship next week in Thurston County for incidents that occurred at 8:30 and 9 p.m. Saturday night at a Hawks Prairie roundabout, Lacey Police said.
A woman in one of the Lacey incidents received minor injuries; no one was injured in any of the other shootings, authorities said.
"It's amazing to me -- with a guy shooting a shotgun at cars -- that this wasn't a lot worse," sheriff's Capt. Dan Kimball said.
In the Maytown incident, a 17-year-old boy from Rochester called the State Patrol Sunday morning to report being shot at on Interstate 5 by a man with a crewcut in a large car, but information wasn't provided to the sheriff's office or linked to the other incidents until Thursday, Kimball said.
The youth -- whose name is not being released because he is a minor -- told officers he was driving south on I-5 near milepost 92 at about 12:45 a.m. when he saw the headlights of a car coming up behind him at a high rate of speed.
The victim changed lanes thinking the other driver must want to pass him, but the driver of the other car slowed down and seemed to pace himself beside the victim's car, Kimball said.
When the victim looked over at the other vehicle he saw the end of a gun pointing out the window of the car and heard a shot and what sounded like something falling off of his vehicle.
The victim's car was found to have damage to the right front quarter panel that appears to be consistent with holes from gunfire, Kimball said.
"Based on the time, the general description and the MO, we're confident this is connected to the same guy," Kimball said.
Details from this case will be added to the information compiled on the two Lacey incidents and filed with the Prosecutor's Office, Kimball said.
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