Alleged Gang Leader In Tacoma Arrested

The alleged leader of the Bloods gang in Tacoma was among those arrested yesterday as part of an 11-state sweep that produced 16 arrests of Crips and Bloods gang members in Washington state and Oregon, federal authorities said yesterday.

Dwayne ``Poochie'' Parker, 23, alleged leader of the Tacoma gang, was arrested for investigation of being a felon in possession of a firearm, said Chris Nelson, special agent-in-charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Seattle.

Another alleged Blood member in Tacoma, David L. King, 24, was arrested for investigation of possession of a sawed-off shotgun and being a felon in possession of a firearm, Nelson said.

Parker was arrested at a Tacoma home and King already was in custody on a previous charge, Nelson said.

A third person from the Seattle-Tacoma area whom Nelson declined to identify was being sought on a warrant alleging firearms violations. Nelson said that person was believed to be out of the state.

Operation Street Sweep, a project to arrest members of rival gangs that have spread their influence far beyond their base in Los Angeles, began Thursday and will continue through the weekend, Nelson said. More than 160 alleged gang members have been arrested nationwide, and about 200 arrests are expected before the sweep is over, he said.

Authorities in 11 states had warrants for arrests, but only eight had executed them as of last night.

Besides Washington and Oregon, arrests were made in California, Louisiana, Arizona, New Mexico, Missouri, Oklahoma and three other states that weren't identified because warrants were still being served.