Chaos unfolded on the streets of Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park after a suspect, identified as Alex Reed, assaulted a Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety officer and led authorities on a precarious vehicle chase. The Santa Rosa Police Department reported on Facebook that the pursuit began yesterday when Reed, wanted for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, sped into Santa Rosa territory.
Reportedly, having been chased by the California Highway Patrol and RPDPS, Reed pushed his silver Hyundai SUV's boundaries, prompting SRPD to deploy spike strips and later execute a "PIT maneuver" to halt the fleeing vehicle. While navigating the vehicle toward Santa Rosa Avenue, Reed, accompanied by only his small dog, showed persistent disregard for traffic signals, driving at reduced speeds, which enabled the PIT maneuver, stated the Santa Rosa Police Department.
After neutralizing the pursuit, the Santa Rosa Police engaged in a standoff as Reed refused to leave his vehicle. A negotiation effort stretched out over an hour yielded no result, leading to officers deploying OC, or pepper spray, to extract Reed, who defended himself unsuccessfully with his shirt from the spray's effects. Reed was treated by an ambulance for the OC exposure. Fortunately, his dog was unharmed and later handed to Sonoma County Animal Control.
The incident began behind 200 Classic Ct., where Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety officers initially contacted Reed. As described by the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety, the incident escalated when Reed, under the probable influence of narcotics, used his vehicle's door to strike an officer before fleeing and sparking the inter-jurisdictional chase. After evading officers through Rohnert Park and onto Hwy 101, Reed was eventually booked into jail for multiple offenses, including felony evading, assault with a deadly weapon on an officer, and violation of probation.
The injured Rohnert Park officer, after being struck by Reed’s reversing vehicle, received treatment at a local hospital and was released.
