A Chula Vista man who allegedly threatened someone with a screwdriver Thursday led officers on a brief pursuit that ended with his arrest following two crashes, one of them with a police cruiser.
William Williams’ alleged threatening actions in Ocean Beach, in the 2000 block of Abbott Street, were reported shortly before 2:30 p.m., according to San Diego police.
Minutes later, Williams, 47, allegedly “aggressively confronted” the first officer to arrive in the area, police spokesman Darius Jamsetjee said.
“Additional officers were urgently requested,” Jamsetjee said. “The officer initially attempted to subdue the suspect using a (stun gun), which proved ineffective. After maintaining a safe distance, the officer also employed an expandable baton, which also had no effect.”
The suspect then fled to the east and north got in his Toyota Tacoma, leading to a pursuit during which the pickup crashed into a parked car. Then Williams allegedly put the 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 West Point Loma and Sunset Cliffs boulevards.
The suspect allegedly remained combative despite intervention from a police dog, until additional shocks from a stun gun subdued him, the spokesman said.
Officers arrested Williams and sent him to a hospital for a precautionary checkup due to the vehicle crashes, the electric shocks and a dog bite he suffered prior.
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.
– City News Service
Updated 5:45 p.m. Dec. 7, 2023
