Deputies arrest two wanted felons after parking lot chase that ended with man being tased
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IDAHO FALLS — Deputies arrested two wanted felons on Sunday — Matthew Phillips, 35, and Tamya Louise King, 28, — after one of them reportedly ran from a traffic stop and ended up being tased.
According to a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, deputies initiated a traffic stop on a car for multiple traffic violations in the Albertson’s parking lot on 17th Street on Sunday, around 3:40 p.m.
When the car stopped, deputies say a man, who had been lying down in the back seat, exited the car and ran, discarding a fanny pack in the process.
Deputies reportedly recognized the man as Phillips, who was wanted for multiple felony warrants and had already fled from deputies in a car earlier that same day.
Phillips allegedly ran toward a nearby McDonald’s, ignoring the deputy’s commands to stop.
The deputy deployed a Taser, causing Phillips to fall to the ground. He was secured by the deputy, who noticed that Phillips was disoriented and suffered a cut above the eye from falling to the ground. Phillips was transported to the hospital for treatment and a medical clearance for the jail.
Nearby deputies and Idaho Falls Police officers arrived, and detained the male driver of the car, who is not identified in the release, and a female passenger, who was identified as King.
According to the release, King has active felony probation warrants in Madison and Bonneville Counties. She was placed under arrest and transported to the Bonneville County Jail. King reportedly admitted to deputies that she had used illegal drugs earlier that day.
She stated that when the deputy pulled behind them during the traffic stop, Phillips stated he “couldn’t go back to jail” as he tried to hide in the back seat.
Deputies later retrieved the fanny pack discarded by Phillips as he was running from the car, and reportedly found multiple items of drug paraphernalia, and just over two grams of methamphetamine. During a search of the car, deputies say they also located a small amount of suspected methamphetamine in the back seat where Phillips had been sitting.
After his medical clearance, Phillips was transported to the Bonneville County Jail, where, during the booking process, deputies allegedly found a small baggie in Phillips’ pocket that contained just over one gram of methamphetamine.
Phillips was booked into jail for an active Bonneville County warrant for felony eluding, felony warrants from the Idaho Department of Corrections and the Utah Board of Pardons, and new felony charges for possession of methamphetamine and destruction of evidence.
Phillips was also booked for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest.
Neither Phillips nor King has been assigned attorneys yet. EastIdahoNews.com will reach out for comment pending their appointment of an attorney.
Though Phillips and King have been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.