A man was in custody Sunday night after ramming a police cruiser during a brief chase in Clairemont Mesa, police said.
The chase started around 8 p.m. after the suspect ran a red light on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego police Sgt. Jared Wilson said.
Patrol officers tried to pull the man over but he fled and during the two-mile chase, the suspect hit a parked car on Arvinels Avenue then rammed the front bumper of a patrol car, Wilson said.
The suspect then crashed into a fence and pole on Limerick Avenue at the base of the canyon near state Route 52, he said.
The man ran into the canyon, which was slick and muddy from the rain. A police helicopter was called into to find the man, but because of the high wind, the helicopter was having trouble keeping the searchlight steady.
The suspect was found curled up under a bush complaining of chest pain, Wilson said.
He was taken to a local hospital for treatment, the sergeant said.
Local
The commotion led residents out onto the street to see what was going on.
"I just heard a lot of police cars going down the street quickly and it was a few — a dozen," Jason Philips said. "Then I saw the firetruck and figure and would come and out see what was going on."
The suspect is facing several charges, including assault on an officer with a deadly weapon.
The police cruiser sustained minor front-end bumper damage and no officers were hurt in the incident.
Police were investigating whether the man was under the influence of a controlled substance, Wilson said.
The man was wanted on a misdemeanor warrant for a drug crime, he said.
