Police took a man into custody after a chase through Berkeley, which at times reached 80 mph, ended with a crash in Oakland late Sunday night, authorities said.
The chase actually began earlier in the night with a shooting investigation in North Sacramento, police said. Sacramento Police Lt. Greg Galliano told Berkeleyside officers located a vehicle that was reportedly involved with that incident and tried to stop it. The driver fled, Galliano said, and Sacramento PD officers pursued it. But they handed over the pursuit to the California Highway Patrol just outside the Sacramento city limits.
Readers on Twitter began asking Berkeleyside about the chase just after 11 p.m. One wrote that “About 7 police cars zipped past on Grizzly Peak Blvd with lights and sirens going” as they followed a fleeing vehicle. At least one helicopter assisted in the pursuit, which prompted many questions from the community.
Other readers saw and heard the chase as it passed Marin Avenue and Spruce Street in North Berkeley at 11:10 p.m. and moved into West Berkeley.
“Police in pursuit of suspect car just blasted down Euclid Ave. 10+ police cars. Chase is now in south Berkeley at San Pablo,” a reader wrote at 11:14 p.m. “It was a long stream of sirens and police car lights, maybe 10min long. Very eerie,” wrote another.
“White truck followed by seven cop cars and two helicopters just blew past our house in the #Berkeley Hills. Less than 7 minutes later, the truck had made it to Oakland. Insane,” another local resident said.
Suddenly a half dozen, at least, cop cars screaming and speeding down our very residential street, and now 3 helicopters overhead and non-stop sirens. What’s up? @berkeleyside
— paint miser (@asmamiryam) November 23, 2020
Hearing a helicopter and lots of sirens out of nowhere through my double paned windows in downtown berkeley. @berkeleyside
— Greg (@g__mags) November 23, 2020
https://twitter.com/KGoldPhysics/status/1330772334035124226
Looks like the chase is over, and safely too, thanks for the update @extapdancer, I couldn't quite make it out! Fixed wing and rotary CHP aircraft departing the scene. @berkeleyside https://t.co/bgP62VQV81 pic.twitter.com/GyAsigHNIk
— Chris Samuel (@chris_bloke) November 23, 2020
Came in front of my house on Euclid!! pic.twitter.com/ryMnrG0Yrw
— Alexandria Thomas (@Aw3someAlli) November 23, 2020
The chase made its way into Oakland and ultimately ended just after 11:20 p.m. at Northgate Avenue and 27th Street when the driver crashed into another vehicle.
Police detained one person at gunpoint and took him into custody without further incident.
On Sunday night, BPD deferred questions about the chase to the California Highway Patrol, which deferred questions to the Sacramento Police Department. Sacramento PD provided basic details about the initial incident but deferred additional questions to the CHP, and said it was the lead agency for the case.
Berkeleyside will attempt to learn more during the day Monday.
Update, Monday, Nov. 23, 1:55 p.m. The Sacramento Police Department told Berkeleyside on Monday that the gunfire call officers handled Sunday night came in at 9:45 in the 2700 block of Forrest Street in that city. Police found an unoccupied vehicle that had been shot at, then identified the shooter’s vehicle, authorities said: “A police air unit spotted the suspect vehicle and when officers attempted to stop the vehicle, a pursuit ensued. The pursuit went to I-80 where CHP units took over the pursuit. The pursuit continued to Oakland where the suspect was taken into custody.”
The man who was arrested was identified Monday as 28-year-old Marquez Trent of Oakland. He was arrested in connection with the pursuit, firearms and vandalism, the Sacramento Police Department said.
On Monday, the CHP directed questions to the Sacramento and Oakland police departments and said its role in the incident was limited.
Berkeleyside updated this story after publication due to the developing nature of events.
