Taser used in arrest of driver in stolen car in Berkeley

A man authorities say led officers on a chase from the Bay Bridge into Berkeley was arrested after the deployment of a Taser this week.

Oakland-area California Highway Patrol spokesman Sean Wilkenfeld said via email that the chase, which hit speeds of 100 mph, began early Wednesday at approximately 12:30 a.m.

Officers spotted a stolen 2001 Acura on eastbound Interstate 80 near the Bay Bridge and tried to stop it, he said.

But the driver “began actively evading officers” and a pursuit began.

The driver took the University Avenue exit into Berkeley, and crashed into another vehicle.

Wilkenfeld said there were only minor injuries reported as a result of that collision.

Officers ultimately used a Taser to arrest the driver, identified as 30-year-old Richard Massey.

One local resident told Berkeleyside the crash drew many officers — she estimated 20 — to the scene.

Massey was arrested in connection with the stolen vehicle, evading officers and driving the wrong way, according to the Alameda County sheriff’s department.

Wilkenfeld said Massey is a parolee who had two outstanding warrants for his arrest.

He is being held at Santa Rita Jail with a bail of $195,000, and is scheduled for arraignment June 13 at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland.

Due to his parole status, he is ineligible for release on bail.

Unlike the CHP, Berkeley Police officers do not carry Tasers. The city is currently investigating the issue.

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Emilie Raguso