Wild Incident Gets Man From Kennewick Six Years In Federal Prison

It all began when Kennewick Police came upon a white Toyota 4Runner on it's side along the roadway in May of 2022.  Officers were called out to a hit and run complaint.   KPD found out the vehicle, now unoccupied, went onto the sidewalk, hit a pile of dirt, then rolled onto its side.

They were intent on finding the now missing driver.  Especially after one officer spotted a black handgun laying on the floorboard of the driver's side of the vehicle.  They didn't need to look far.  Mark Steven White of Kennewick was spotted climbing out of a window of the 4Runner and running from the scene.

The chase went on for four blocks until White was taken into custody.  White was then cited and released for hit and run.  That wouldn't last long.

KPD obtained a search warrant and went back to the 4Runner (now in evidence) to see what else they could find.  They found a black Ruger EC9s 9MM Semi-Automatic handgun with an obliterated serial number. The handgun had an extended magazine that was loaded with several cartridges.

The following month a warrant was issued for White.  U.S.  Marshals located White driving a black Chevrolet Avalanche in West Richland.   he fled and was taken into custody at an apartment complex close by.  Another search ensued and it was worse than the first.

The FBI’s Southeast Washington Safe Streets Task Forcefound a loaded Springfield .45 caliber pistol between the driver’s seat and center console. The serial numbers on the gun were gone. Body armor and a ballistic helmet were also found inside the vehicle.  White was on parole for a violent offense at the time of the new federal crimes.

The 60 year-old White will now spend the next 78 months, or six and a half years, in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.