Opinion ID: 2599013
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: ¶ 2 Officer Mike McSwain of the Lummi Nation Police Department (LNPD) was patrolling the Lummi reservation sometime after 1:30 a.m. on August 10, 2005 when he observed a vehicle driving toward him on Slater Road with its high beams glaring. Officer McSwain flashed his headlights to remind the driver (later identified as Loretta Eriksen) to dim the brights, but the driver did not comply. Officer McSwain slowed his patrol car to prepare to turn around and pursue the driver. [2] But as the vehicle approached, it drifted across the center line into my lane of travel coming within a couple feet of my vehicle, Officer McSwain testified. Clerk's Papers (CP) at 23 (Tr. (Jan. 26, 2006) at 8). At that point, you know, I came to an immediate stop, getting ready to swerve in case it continued. Id. As the vehicle drifted back into its lane, Officer McSwain observed a second car following very closely behind the drifting vehicle. Officer McSwain turned his patrol car around, activated his emergency lights, and began pursuing both cars westbound on Slater Road. ¶ 3 After traveling roughly a quarter mile the cars turned into a gas station located off the Lummi reservation. The second car broke off, went around the west side of the station, and disappeared from Officer McSwain's line of sight. Officer McSwain pulled behind the first car and observed the passenger jump from the vehicle and run to the driver's side, while the driver  soon to be identified as Eriksen  hopped over the center console and into the passenger's seat. Officer McSwain commanded Eriksen and the passenger to stop moving and put their hands where he could see them. Then he called for backup. Two LNPD patrol cars arrived less than five minutes later. [3] ¶ 4 Officer McSwain then asked Eriksen why she had jumped into the passenger seat. Eriksen said  in slightly slurred speech  she had not been driving, so Officer McSwain warned her about making false statements. He also observed her eyes were watery and bloodshot and she smelled strongly of alcohol. Officer McSwain determined neither woman was a tribal member so he contacted the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office, which is standard procedure for stops involving nontribal members. ¶ 5 Officer McSwain asked Eriksen to step out of her car and follow him to his patrol vehicle. He noticed she was having difficulty keeping her balance and walking, and she began to sway back and forth ... [as he] started to explain to her what was going on. ... CP at 32 (Tr. (Jan. 26, 2006) at 17). Officer McSwain advised Eriksen that she would be detained but not arrested and a sheriff's deputy would make a final determination. McSwain did not administer any sobriety tests and testified Eriksen would not take any tests. He then handcuffed Eriksen and placed her in the back of his patrol car until the Whatcom County sheriff's deputy arrived. Officer McSwain remained on the scene until the deputy arrested Eriksen for DUI. ¶ 6 The trial court convicted Eriksen of DUI and denied her motion for reconsideration. The court reasoned the Lummi Nation's inherent sovereign power  which includes enforcing internal criminal laws  authorizes tribal police to continue pursuing offenders who drive off the reservation. The court concluded it would be inconsistent with this power, and Washington's policy of authorizing officers to cross jurisdictional boundaries when in fresh pursuit, for somebody [to] just cross the line and be scott-free. Verbatim Report of Proceedings (VRP) (Aug. 20, 2007) at 40-41. We granted Eriksen's motion for discretionary review to resolve this issue of first impression.