Calif. Police Outside Cruiser Struck by Fleeing Suspect who Kept Driving

A Hemet police officer was injured after a suspect accused of fleeing the police drove into opposing traffic during a pursuit and crashed early Sunday, March 9.

Officers responded at 1:55 a.m. to calls of someone smashing out vehicle windows in the 1300 block of El Nita Lane. When police tried to approach the suspect, he ran to his vehicle and drove away, and officers chased his vehicle, according to the Hemet Police Department.

Police deployed spike strips during the chase, but the suspect drove into the opposite lanes of traffic, hit a Hemet police officer who was standing near his patrol vehicle and drove away until he crashed in the 500 block of North San Jacinto Street and was taken into custody, police said.

The officer was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Investigators believe the driver got in a physical fight with someone before police arrived, when the suspect broke multiple car windows and assaulted the other person, giving them a head injury.

He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism, fleeing from police, evading an officer causing injury or death, evading by driving opposite of traffic and violating probation.

Police also learned the suspect had been released the previous Tuesday from a sentence for a prior charge of evading and stealing vehicles.

Police ask anyone with information to call investigators at 951-765-2426.

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