Surveillance video Shows Deputy Flying Through the Air After Being Hit By Car
By: The Alameda County Sheriff's Office has released surveillance video that shows a sheriff's deputy flying through the air after being hit by a stolen vehicle. The deputy, who suffered serious injuries, lands on the pavement.
The deputy was injured last Wednesday, July 24, when the Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Task Force observed the suspects driving two stolen vehicles at high speeds. "To preserve public safety and apprehend the suspects, a deputy deployed a tire deflation device (spike strip) as the suspects drove east on 159th Avenue toward Liberty Street in Unincorporated San Leandro," the department said in a statement.
"As the deputy deployed the device, the driver of the stolen Subaru drove into oncoming traffic, accelerated, and struck the deputy with the vehicle, catapulting the deputy into the air and throwing him a considerable distance before he landed in the street. Both suspects fled the area after the collision to further evade capture."
Both stolen vehicles crashed nearby, with both drivers running away.
San Leandro Police Department and California Highway Patrol officers responded and assisted in the search for the suspects.
The driver of the vehicle that did not hit the deputy, 21-year-old Miguel Cardenas, was quickly arrested.
Investigators later identified 34-year-old Joel Gonzalez as the suspected driver of the Subaru. He was arrested the following day on unrelated charges.
"Criminalists from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Crime Laboratory completed forensic testing on evidence recovered from the crime scene, which identified Gonzalez as the driver of the Subaru and the suspect who struck our deputy with the vehicle."
Gonzalez was arrested for the assault. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged Gonzalez with Attempted Murder of a Police Officer, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Controlled Substance with a Firearm, two counts of Unlawful Driving or Taking of a Vehicle, and two counts of Possession of Stolen Property.
The deputy is recovering from his injuries.