A man suspected of threatening his family with a gun and vandalizing vehicles in a Linda Vista-area neighborhood Friday led officers on a road chase from Mission Valley to Flinn Springs before being subdued by a police dog and arrested.
The alleged domestic threats and acts of malicious property damage in the 1800 block of Drescher Street were reported shortly before 9 a.m., according to the San Diego Police Department.
Following the purported violent outburst, the 34-year-old suspect left the area in a pickup truck, SDPD Officer David O’Brien said.
When patrol officers caught up with the white Dodge Ram at Friars Road and Ulric Street a short time later, the driver failed to yield and sped south, O’Brien said.
Minutes later, the suspect got onto Interstate 8 from Mission Center Road, crashing the truck into another vehicle on the on-ramp. A short distance away, near Texas Street, the pickup collided with a fire truck on the freeway, then continued on to the east, O’Brien said.
The man then proceeded to flee through La Mesa. El Cajon and Lakeside, with the California Highway Patrol ultimately taking over the pursuit from San Diego police.
The pursuit ended just east of Lake Jennings, where the suspect made a failed bid to evade arrest by bailing out of the truck and fleeing on foot on the freeway. The escape attempt ended when a service dog chased him down and pulled him to the ground.
The arrestee, whose name was not immediately available, was taken to a hospital for treatment of dog bites. No other injuries were reported.
The suspect was expected to be booked into county jail on suspicion of assault, felony vandalism, issuing criminal threats, resisting arrest by force, hit-and-run and driving while intoxicated, O’Brien said.
City News Service contributed to this article.
