A County Sheriff’s sergeant who attempted to stop a speeding car on northbound I-680 in Walnut Creek touched off a wild chain of events after the car crashed and its driver led officers on an erratic chase through the downtown area – reportedly discarding a handgun in nearby Las Trampas Creek.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jimmy Lee confirmed information reported earlier by this site, stating that events got underway at around 2 p.m. Tuesday after the sergeant – traveling northbound on I-680 – was passed by a dark Dodge sedan. The sergeant activated his lights and attempted to stop the car but it accelerated and briefly evaded the officer by fleeing down the South Main Street offramp and traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of South Main Street before it collided with three other cars – the driver abandoning the car and fleeing on foot.
For a time it was believed the suspect, a white male in his 30s, 6-foot, 200 pounds wearing cargo shorts with an unusual belt and sporting an arm tattoo had fled into Kaiser Hospital but responding officers were directed by witnesses to the shopping area west of the crash scene and the creek bed behind the Trader Joe’s store – where he was spotted discarding a large caliber firearm.
The weapon was later recovered by police. A canine team tracked the suspect, using a discarded article of clothing also found near the scene, but Walnut Creek police and sheriff’s deputies were not able to locate the man. Lee said no injuries were reported and that the investigation into the incident is continuing.
