A Chula Vista man who allegedly threatened a person with a screwdriver Thursday near Saratoga Park in Ocean Beach led police on a brief road chase that ended with his arrest following several traffic crashes, including one involving a police cruiser.
Several 911 callers reported 47-year-old William Williams' alleged belligerent and threatening actions in the 2000 block of Abbott Street shortly before 2:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Minutes later, Williams allegedly "aggressively confronted" the first officer to arrive in the area, SDPD spokesman Darius Jamsetjee said.
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"Additional officers were urgently requested," Jamsetjee said. "The officer initially attempted to subdue the suspect using a [stun gun], which proved ineffective. After maintaining a safe distance, the officer also employed an expandable baton, which also had no effect."
In shocking video shot on Voltaire Street in front of Target and uploaded to Instagram by @ConnectSanDiego, Williams can be heard repeatedly yelling at the officer to "Do it," then getting shot with the stun gun. Instead of being disabled, however, Williams sort of loudly fake laughs at the officer with his fists clenched and continues to approach him, again yelling, "Do it!" At this point, Williams yells at the officer, who is deploying his baton, shouting what sounds like "Fire your gun" twice. While backing away, the officer strikes Williams twice with the fully extended baton but Williams lunges again, growling. When Williams starts walking away, the officer puts away his baton and follows Williams, walking almost calmly, who gets into a late model gray Toyota Tacoma and drives away. The officer then runs back to his patrol car and gives chase. In the distance, sirens wail as backup arrives.
The suspect then allegedly fled to the east and north, leading to a pursuit during which the pickup crashed into a parked car, after which Williams allegedly put his vehicle into reverse and intentionally rammed an SDPD cruiser.
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A short time later, the suspect ran over a tire-flattening spike strip, putting an end to the chase at the intersection of Sunset Cliffs and West Point Loma boulevards.
Still, even though officers released a service dog on him, the suspect allegedly remained combative until additional shocks from a stun gun finally subdued him, the spokesman said.
Williams was then arrested and taken to a hospital for a precautionary checkup due to the vehicle crashes, the electric shocks he sustained and a dog bite he suffered prior to surrendering.
No other injuries were reported.
Williams was expected to be jailed on suspicion of various criminal charges, including evading police, brandishing a weapon, issuing criminal threats, driving while intoxicated, illegal possession of a controlled substance, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, and hit-and-run.
A small dog that had been inside the suspect's truck during the chase was turned over, unharmed, to the custody of the San Diego Humane Society, Jamsetjee said.
Williams, who is being held on $168,850 bail, is due in court in downtown San Diego on Tuesday afternoon.
