A police pursuit in Hayward has landed a suspected car thief in the hospital.
Hayward and Fremont officers chased the stolen pick-up truck through surface streets, before firing several rounds at the suspect.
Eric Park, who witnessed part of the incident, said, "When I heard gunshots, I went low to the ground. Being safe is more important than looking at what happened."
The stolen truck ended up in the parking lot of the Days Inn Hotel in Hayward.
That is where officers tried to arrest the suspect, investigators said.
"As they approached the driver on foot, he revved the motor and rapidly accelerated toward police officers," said Hayward police Lt. Chris Orrey. "Two of the officers fired shots at the driver."
"It was more than 10 shots fired," said witness Santiago Jimenez. "You just heard the pop, then a pause, and the pop started again.
The suspect apparently put up a fight once he was wounded and was out of the turck.
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"Officers had to struggle with him," Orrey said. "He violently struggled against the arrest."
One officer responding to the shooting lost control of his cruiser, and rolled it on Hisperian Boulevard. He was not injured.
While an ambulance took the suspect away, frustrated neighbors said shootings are nothing new in the area.
Some said police need more leeway in fighting crime.
"Neighborhoods are going to be hit like this if people don't take action and let cops do what they have to do," Jimenez said.
Jimenez said he is not opposed to deadly force.
"I don't want to see a person like this be a burden on the state," he said. "He is a criminal and committed a crime. Too bad he got in an ambulance and was hauled off.
