A suspected DUI driver who drove off the road and slammed into a tree is behind bars, accused of biting and reaching for the gun of one of the officers who came to his rescue.
The man lost control of his vehicle Monday afternoon on the Main Street onramp to northbound Interstate 5 in Chula Vista. He crashed head-on into a tree.
Firefighters responded to the scene to find the man belligerent and aggressive. They withstood a profanity-laced verbal assault and accusations of racism for nearly 10 minutes before California Highway Patrol officers showed up.
“All you guys like Donald Trump… Must love him because you're white and blue-eyed,” he shouted.
A CHP officer tried to calm the man down but his aggression didn’t let up, CHP Sgt. Steve Jio said. Then the suspect, described only as a 35-year-old from Chula Vista, pushed the officer and that’s when he tried to take him into custody.
A physical altercation ensued and the officer tried to wrestle the suspect to the ground. As they grappled, the suspect reached for the officer's gun and bit him, according to Jio.
The dangerous encounter was recorded by Signature Towing owner Larry White’s body camera. The officer can be heard shouting that he was being bitten. The officer told investigators that the suspect held his bite for what seemed like minutes.
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Jio said the officer suffered severe bite injuries on his arm and was taken to an area hospital.
The altercation escalated so quickly that even White jumped in to help protect the officer and subdue the driver. It took White, the officer, and several firefighters to hog tie the suspect so he couldn’t hurt anyone or himself.
“You have to,” White said of his heroics. “Anyone who needs help, you need to be there to help. You don’t just turn a blind eye."
The arresting officer told investigators that he detected an odor of alcohol from the suspect. White alerted investigators to an opened beer bottle that was found near the crash scene.
Jio said the suspect suffered minor injuries from the crash and he was taken to an area hospital.
