Aug. 28--California Highway Patrol officers fired on an escaped jail inmate from San Joaquin County when he tried to ram them with a stolen car near Lodi early Monday morning, a CHP spokesman said. The shots left the inmate dead and critically injured a woman in his vehicle.
The CHP took over pursuit of the stolen vehicle about 12:10 a.m. from Stockton police near Interstate 5 and March Lane, California Highway Patrol Officer Angel Arceo said.
Officers began and ended the pursuit twice due to the fleeing suspect's wild driving, said Arceo. At times, the driver drove the wrong way on the freeway.
Arceo said a CHP air unit kept tabs on the driver even when patrol cars had to cut off pursuit.
Eventually, officers in patrol cars caught up with the stolen car one last time when the suspect exited I-5 and took surface streets to Highway 99. He then left Highway 99 at Woodbridge Road.
Near there, CHP officers used a maneuver to stop the car with their vehicles. Officers then got out of their cars with guns drawn.
"They gave commands to the driver to exit his vehicle," said Arceo. "He failed to comply."
Instead, said Arceo, the suspect put the stolen car in reverse and drove toward the officers.
The suspect's car hit one of the patrol cars on the passenger side where an officer was standing, said Arceo.
"The officer was able to get out of the way," said Arceo. "At which time, fearing for their safety, they (the officers) discharged their weapons."
The vehicle then continued toward other officers at a high rate of speed in reverse. Officers continued to fire to "disable the vehicle and neutralize the threat," said Arceo.
The driver died at the scene.
Arceo said officers then discovered the female passenger. She had been struck at least once and was taken by CHP air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.
She was reported in critical, yet stable, condition.
Arceo could not confirm earlier media reports that the woman was pregnant.
Arceo said that the dead man, whose name has not been released, was a recent escapee from a San Joaquin County sheriff's honor farm. He had escaped Aug. 9 and was being sought by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
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