An officer was struck Thursday morning by a car, after San Leandro police say he was checking out sleeping people inside a "suspicious vehicle." By late afternoon, officers had arrested the driver - a 16-year-old girl.
Lt. Robert McManus said the officer was struck on Broadmoor Boulevard in a residential part of the city about 7:30 a.m. He had been called out to check a car and when he arrived found two people sleeping inside.
When he approached the car, one suspect, got out and tried to run away, but he was stopped and arrested, McManus said.
Another officer went up to the car to talk to the driver, but she tried to speed away, striking the officer, McManus said. It's unclear, investigators said, if shots were fired first. Residents said they heard four to six gunshots.
"We heard some sirens and we heard some gunshots and then more sirens," said one neighbor, who added that her children saw "all of it."
Police combed the area looking for the female driver. She drove away and eventually abandoned the car in east Oakland. A San Leandro police officer found the empty car two or three hours later, he said. Police reported late Thursday afternoon the female suspect, a 16-year-old Oakland girl, had been arrested.
San Leandro police say they have located stolen car used to hit & seriously injure officer this a.m. But still looking for female driver
— Jodi Hernandez (@JodiHernandez01) December 4, 2014The officer, a 20-year-veteran, was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The 19-year-old male suspect was booked on charges of attempted murder on two officers. Police said the girl would likely face the same charges. Neither suspect has been identified.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
