The Spotlight: 'I've got 70,000 volts to your back'

Teens risk getting tased as the crackdown on car theft ramps up and more arrests are made. Vehicle thefts in Washington state are down for the third month in a row thanks to some key arrests of the 'Kia Boys' actively stealing cars. Still, there have been more than 5500 cars and trucks stolen so far this year. Bodycam video shows the chaos on the roads as armed teens in stolen vehicles risk their lives and the safety of others to try to escape.

The Spotlight: Solutions to youth crime come under scrutiny

It's one thing for a kid to break the law. But when the kids themselves are broken—by addiction, abuse, or mental illness, a jail cell is no place to heal. That's the reasoning behind King County's continued push forward on a plan first promised by Executive Dow Constantine to close the youth detention facility, now by 2028. Teens would be placed in lightly secured group homes instead, where there would be better access to counseling and services. But would that address the jaw-dropping increase we've seen in juvenile crimes this last year? One of the top jurists in the King County courts system is skeptical.

Pierce County K9 captures burglary suspect buried in the mud

A Pierce County Sheriff's K9 has only been on duty for a couple of months but but he is already proving his skill at tracking. One of three home burglary suspects found that out the hard way when he tried to hide from K9 Bronco by burying himself in the mud.

The Spotlight: The good, the bad and the bodycams

The Spotlight is on a pair of newly obtained bodycam videos that capture corruption and heroics in real-time. First, footage of a massive drug bust inside a state-run prison school. Narcotics agents staged the raid only after getting the brush-off by DCYF and Gov. Inslee’s office. Then, a Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy in the middle of a dangerous traffic stop has to decide whether an armed stranger arriving on the scene is friend or foe – and it’s all caught on camera.

The Spotlight: 3 officers cleared in Manuel Ellis' death each receive $500K to leave Tacoma police

The Tacoma Police officers exonerated by a jury in the death of Manny Ellis are voluntarily resigning from the department. All three officers will receive a $500,000 payout. "Labeling these officers as criminals and calling for their firing and prosecution was a reckless, political witch hunt," said Tacoma Police Union IUPA Local 6 in a statement. The Spotlight has details on the settlement and reaction from the Tacoma Action Collective who supported the Ellis family.

The Spotlight: Police say suspect accused of killing rideshare driver has 'anger issues'

The heartbroken family of a rideshare driver murdered in Edmonds still has so many questions about why he was killed. Police say 21-year-old Alex Waggoner fired 11 shots at Abdikadir Shariff. The 31-year-old who had just dropped off two passengers died from a gunshot wound to the head. When officers arrested Waggoner, he was armed with two loaded pistols including the one used to kill Shariff and was wearing body armor. Detectives say Waggoner told them he over-reacted when Shariff almost hit him with his car. As Shariff started apologizing, he opened fire. Plus, the Spotlight has new information in the case of a 7-year-old girl who was kidnapped in Seattle nine years ago that may help return her to her family.

The Spotlight: Will Seattle murder boom continue in 2024?

2024 is off to a fast start with hopes of a less deadly year after a record- breaking murder boom of 73 homicides in Seattle. Several newly sworn-in city council members vow to focus on public safety. The Spotlight looks at crime-fighting in the year ahead and shares several unsolved cases carried over from 2023.

The Spotlight: Where is Oakley Carlson?

This month marked two years since 5-year-old Oakley Carlson was reported missing in Grays Harbor County. Her biological parents continue to refuse to cooperate with detectives trying to find her. Her mom, Jordan Bowers, is in prison after being convicted of identity theft. Her dad, Andrew Carlson, is living in Wenatchee. Meanwhile, detectives are following up on every lead and continue to ask for the public's help to answer the question, where is Oakley Carlson?

The Spotlight: Careaga murder suspects now on trial

The trial for the three suspects, including two members of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, accused in a quadruple murder of the Careaga family in Kitsap County is now underway. The Spotlight takes you back to the day the accused killers were finally arrested with an exclusive in-depth look at the case that started in 2017 with a heartbreaking call to 911 and a horrific discovery.