West Richland DUI Suspect ‘Eats’ Glass Bong During Traffic Stop

Police in West Richland had something happen to them that most departments will never, or rarely, ever see during a DUI stop Wednesday night-Thursday morning.

Graveyard shift officers pulled over a 29-year-old man near Keene and Kennedy Roads around 1:30am for a speeding violation.

The suspect, Joseph N. Owens of Pasco, was found to be impaired and eventually arrested for DUI and eluding officers. Initially, he sped away and wouldn't pull over, before finally driving down a bike path and stopping near Duportail and Keene Roads.

But what happened next was the shocker. As officers had him boxed in, and were running his ID and license, police noticed a 'glass smoking device' (pot bong device) and put it in the patrol car. As Owens was being placed in the car, he lunged over, grabbed the glass pipe, and BEGAN TO EAT IT!  Officers struggled with him but he was able to shove most of it in his mouth, chewed and swallowed it!

He was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical center, and according to police, 'cleared' and sent to the Benton County jail on the previously mentioned charges. We wonder if by 'cleared' they meant the old medical intestinal cleaning methods to get the remains of the 'bong' out of his system?  Wow!