A masked man who reportedly attracted the attention of the law by spitting at a crew of tree-cutters and hurling abuse at others in Lafayette teased a pursuing convoy of law enforcement officers into a lurching, slow-speed chase that lasted most of the afternoon and ended when his truck was spike-stripped in Pleasant Hill Thursday.
The reason for the strange behavior and curlicue chase remains unknown as this is written, police apparently unwilling to commit to a full-blown pursuit of a suspected spitter, but various agencies engaging with the suspect and his Toyota Tacoma as it surfaced in their areas – the driver taunting police with gestures and allegedly aggressive driving tactics.
The… uh, semi-pursuit found its way from the Lafayette Reservoir shortly after noon and on into Orinda, El Sobrante, Martinez and unincorporated Lafayette – back and forth on Bear Creek Road several times – and ultimately out to Pleasant Hill as the object of police attention stopped, waited for police to show interest, and then took off again on back roads and at relative low speeds.
News24/680 lensman Craig Cannon found himself in the convoy as the truck’s driver exited unincorporated Lafayette with his driver’s-side tires flattened by CHP officers, and was present when officers spiked his remaining two. The now-sizable procession crawled to a stop at Taylor Boulevard and Grayson Road, police moving in to make their arrest at around 4:45 p.m.
Cannon had a brief conversation with the focus of police attention as he limped along on tires deflated by police spike strips.
The driver has not been identified and it may take some time to sort out the agency with jurisdiction – but the afternoon’s antics sure got our attention.
Sounds like one of those LA type pursuits where it’s just for the fun and notoriety, too bad we don’t have TV news choppers in the Bay Area to broadcast all of the fun. Longest pursuit I was on was 23 miles, then got called off and CHP took over, it ended very badly for the suspect. 108RS
If I didn’t hear all the sirens and see the cop helicopter overhead I would think this was an April fool joke! Spitting? Good for 10 years with no parole? All those cops in the photo….nothing better to do? Best they chase a violent spitter than the mass of thieves that have been hitting the department stores!
With respect, that’s what first got the attention of police, essentially a battery against the tree crew and some others in Lafayette… They did not go charging after this person. He would stop, do something to get their attention, and then take off again… believe it was the length of time he was “on the run” and some of his more aggressive antics that got him spike-stripped and arrested.
I saw him leaving the Lafayette Reservoir with police behind him. He was driving recklessly and passing cars on a steep one lane road by driving on the grass. He was clearly endangering people around him.
Who knows why white people do what they do? They shoot the buffalo from the train and leave the corpses to rot in the sun.
Whoa… we get the analogy but ended up feeling sorry for the bison, again. Not to mention what Kevin Costner did to them…
Ok, it was a tongue in cheek racist, ironic remark from a paleface. No animals were harmed in my post.
Safe to say he has some issues?
Why do I get the feeling that half of America is just one step away from leading police on a slow speed chase?
Thanks for explaining all this. Saw all the police and had no idea what was going on!
As bizarre and strange as most things around here lately…..
I saw the police slow chased but not sure why they stop? I drove passed this red truck and turned valley road dr. No one was around and I’m not familiar with the road. Suddenly I saw the red truck behind me as I was on the phone with 911. I’ve never been this terrified in my life. I literally crying on the phone. I made a u turned and left as fast as I could.
Who was he and why? Have the police stopped giving this info????