Police Arrest 16-Year-Old Driver Accused Of Running Over San Leandro Police Officer With Stolen Car
SAN LEANDRO (CBS SF) -- Authorities have arrested a 16-year-old on suspicion of running over a San Leandro police officer and nearly hitting another officer Thursday morning, prompting the officers to open fire. A 19-year-old man was also arrested in the case.
Lt. Robert McManus said officers received a report around 7:20 a.m. from a resident in the 600 block of Broadmoor Boulevard of an unfamiliar vehicle in the residential neighborhood. When an officer arrived, two occupants were inside the car, a 19-year-old East Oakland man and an unidentified female.
"I am very surprised. We do see kids commit violent crimes. In this case, I'm surprised to see that it's someone who's 16 years old who's driving a stolen car and who's willing to run over a police officer to get away," McManus told KPIX 5.
The 19-year-old got out and tried to run away from the officer. There was a brief struggle, and McManus said the officer had the man pinned up against a parked car near the suspect vehicle.
A second officer arrived and was walking up to help the first officer when the young woman driving the suspect vehicle accelerated, narrowly missing the 19-year-old man and striking the second officer.
"The officer was not only hit by a car, he was run over by the car," McManus said. "You can imagine the weight of a vehicle running over your body and the damage that could cause."
McManus said there was a "substantial" amount of blood at the scene from the officer's injuries.
McManus said one or both of the officers opened fire on the suspect vehicle in self-defense. He said the car is a 1995 white four-door Nissan Maxima, which police determined was stolen out of Oakland.
The driver drove away and eventually abandoned the car in east Oakland. A San Leandro police officer found the car two or three hours later, he said. The unidentified driver was found and taken into custody Thursday evening. Authorities told KPIX 5 the driver is 16-years-old.
There was evidence of bullet holes in the car, but McManus said the police department is not yet releasing information about how many shots the officers fired at the suspect.
The injured officer, an 18 to 20 year veteran of the force, was transported to a local hospital and McManus said he is undergoing surgery Thursday afternoon.
The 19-year-old is being held in police custody on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder, resisting arrest, and several outstanding warrants for traffic violations. He may additionally be charged with stealing a car, McManus said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 510-577-2740.
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