SAN JOSE — A Los Banos man was arrested on suspicion of hitting a patrol car and police officer while fleeing a sideshow Sunday, according to authorities. Seven other people were also arrested.
Sideshow incidents were reported Sunday at about 4 p.m. throughout San Jose, including at Old Bayshore Highway and Gish Road, Santa Teresa Boulevard and the Highway 87 interchange, Meridian Avenue and Fruitdale Avenue, Capitol Expressway and Capitol Avenue and Lundy Avenue and Concourse Drive, according to a San Jose Police Department news release.
At the Capitol Expressway and Capitol Avenue location, drivers fled the scene towards the area of Story Road and Jackson Avenue, where they were met by police officers, authorities said. One of the drivers, a 19-year-old Los Banos resident, hit a patrol car and an officer who was on foot. Police later found the vehicle in the area of White Road and McKee Road. The driver was arrested on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on an officer, felony hit-and-run, reckless evasion and possession of a privately made firearm.
The police officer who was hit was hospitalized with minor to moderate injuries and released. Police arrested eight people in total, two for firearms violations. Three cars were impounded for 30 days and about 40 citations were issued for mechanical and spectator violations.
Like other cities in the Bay Area, San Jose has been grappling with sideshows, which can involve hundreds of people and spectators, as well as speeding, doughnuts and other kinds of dangerous driving.
In June, San Jose became the first city in the U.S. to make it a crime to promote or encourage sideshows on social media. Violators could face six months in jail, fines up to $1,000 or be charged with a misdemeanor.
Police have asked anyone with information to submit tips through the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at 408-947-STOP or on www.svcrimestoppers.org. Information leading to an arrest will result in a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.
Source: www.mercurynews.com