A Sacramento police motorcycle officer was struck by a vehicle Wednesday morning during a pursuit of a juvenile driver who officials say also tried to ram other patrol cars and a sheriff’s transport vehicle before finally being stopped. The chase started with a routine traffic stop near G and 6th streets and escalated into a dangerous, multi-stage pursuit through the city.
According to KCRA, officers tried to pull over a reckless driver around 9:45 a.m. near G and 6th streets, but the driver refused to stop. That refusal triggered the pursuit, which officers called off almost immediately because of what police described as the suspect’s dangerous driving pattern.
A Second Attempt Turns Dangerous
Rather than let the driver go, officers moved to try again later, according to the station’s report. It was during that second attempt that the suspect vehicle struck the Sacramento Police Department motorcycle officer, officials said.
The danger didn’t stop there. Per the same account, the driver also attempted to strike other Sacramento police vehicles, as well as a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office vehicle that was transporting someone at the time. The suspect was eventually stopped near North B Street and 7th Street, bringing the chase to an end.
Juvenile Faces Charges After Medical Clearance
Officials said the juvenile driver suffered only minor injuries in the incident. The juvenile is awaiting medical clearance and will then be booked and charged, according to the report.
Pursuits Remain a Statewide Concern
Officer injuries during vehicle pursuits aren’t unique to this case. Sacramento police reported another incident in which an officer suffered minor injuries after a suspect struck a patrol vehicle at the end of a chase, according to ABC10.
The risks extend well beyond Sacramento. In Los Angeles, police pursuits surged to 1,116 in 2024, the department’s highest total since 2018, as reported by The Mercury News. From April 2023 through February 2025, the LAPD alone logged 1,910 pursuits that led to 616 crashes and 384 injuries, including 49 officers hurt, the outlet reported. U.S. Representative Laura Friedman has pointed to the scale of the problem, noting that more than 94% of police pursuits currently end without any safe-termination technology, such as tire deflation or immobilization tools, according to the same report.
