Object Thrown at Off-Duty Officer Leads to Car Chase in Alpine

A suspected case of road rage led an off-duty United States Marshal to a drug bust in Alpine Saturday.

The off-duty officer thought he heard shots being fired at his vehicle while he was driving on Interstate-8 near Dunbar Lane at about 9 p.m., California Highway Patrol (CHP) said.

The marshal called for backup and began a pursuit of a gray pickup truck with a camper shell. The chase sped along I-8 before exiting on Dunbar Lane and into an Alpine neighborhood.

That is where the suspect bailed out of his vehicle and began running through the streets, jumping over backyard fences to avoid the officer, CHP said.

The suspect was caught and taken into custody on suspicion of drug possession and weapons charges.

During an investigation, CHP determined the suspect, but did not fire a weapon but may have thrown a large piece of junk metal through the window, which struck the marshal’s vehicle.

Investigators believe it may have been a case of road rage.