SAN DIEGO — A Chula Vista man who allegedly threatened a person with a screwdriver today near Saratoga Park in Ocean Beach led police on a brief road chase that ended with his arrest following several traffic crashes, including one involving a police cruiser.
Several 911 callers reported 47-year-old William Williams' alleged belligerent and threatening actions in the 2000 block of Abbott Street shortly before 2:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Minutes later, Williams allegedly "aggressively confronted'' the first officer to arrive in the area, SDPD spokesman Darius Jamsetjee said. "Additional officers were urgently requested. The officer initially attempted to subdue the suspect using a taser, which proved ineffective. After maintaining a safe distance, the officer also employed an expandable baton, which also had no effect.''
The suspect then allegedly got into his Toyota Tacoma and fled to the east and north, leading to a pursuit during which the pickup crashed into a parked car, after which Williams allegedly put his vehicle into reverse and intentionally rammed an SDPD cruiser.
A short time later, the suspect ran over a tire-flattening spike strip, putting an end to the chase at the intersection of Sunset Cliffs and West Point Loma boulevards.
Still, even though officers sicced a service dog on him, the suspect allegedly remained combative until additional shocks from a taser finally subdued him, the spokesman said.
Williams was then arrested and taken to a hospital for a precautionary checkup due to the vehicle crashes, the electric shocks he sustained and a dog bite he suffered prior to surrendering. No other injuries were reported.
Williams was expected to be jailed on suspicion of various criminal charges, including evading police, brandishing a weapon, issuing criminal threats, driving while intoxicated, illegal possession of a controlled substance, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, and hit-and-run.
A small dog that had been inside the suspect's truck during the chase was turned over, unharmed, to the custody of the San Diego Humane Society, Jamsetjee said.
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