Man Rams Two Sheriff's Cars in Santa Rosa

A 31-year-old man was taken into custody in Santa Rosa early this morning after he led deputies on a car chase and rammed two patrol cars, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

The pursuit began east of Santa Rosa when a deputy tried to pull over a driver for following a vehicle too closely on state Highway 12 near Fulton Road at about 12:55 a.m., according to the sheriff's office.

The driver, who was later identified as Jose Manuel Javier-Lazaro, of El Verano, allegedly refused to stop and led the deputy on a brief pursuit to a parking lot at Stony Point Plaza in Santa Rosa, the sheriff's office said.

A second deputy joined in the pursuit attempted to stop Javier-Lazaro by performing a PIT maneuver against the suspect vehicle.

The maneuver was unsuccessful and the suspect drove out of the parking lot as far as Sebastopol Road, the sheriff's office said.

A second PIT maneuver caused Javier-Lazaro to spin out, according to the sheriff's office.

He then drove straight at a patrol car and hit it, before putting his vehicle in reverse and attempting to strike the second patrol car, the sheriff's office said.

The suspect allegedly struck an open door of the patrol car with the deputy inside, the sheriff's office said.

When the suspect vehicle was finally pinned between the two patrol cars, Javier-Lazaro apparently refused to get out.

Deputies had to break the passenger window and forcibly pull him out in order to take him into custody, the sheriff's office said.

Javier-Lazaro was booked into Sonoma County Jail for DUI, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and felony evading.