Police chased a driver through the Berkeley Hills on Thursday evening following reports that she had a gun and may have tried to strike several people with her car.
Update, July 15: Police say the driver was arrested in Humboldt County
BPD called off the pursuit as it came down from the hills and moved toward more congested areas of town, authorities said. The investigation is ongoing.
For the most part, police told Berkeleyside, the fleeing driver observed traffic laws and stayed within the speed limit. Roadways were clear, and no one was injured during the chase, which moved from Berkeley into Kensington before concluding in El Cerrito.
The incident began in the 1300 block of Queens Road just after 5:30 p.m. when BPD got a call about a woman who had come to the block with a gun and attempted to hit several individuals with her vehicle.
When community members called 911, the woman got into her car and backed away, BPD said, possibly hitting another vehicle. The woman then “took off” through the Berkeley Hills.
When police caught up with her, they recognized the woman, BPD said, from an assault with a deadly weapon call from another city.
BPD called off the chase, which also involved the California Highway Patrol and Kensington police, at about 5:55 p.m. as the driver approached San Pablo Avenue, police said.
BPD’s pursuit policy allows officers to initiate a pursuit in the case of a violent crime resulting in serious bodily injury; a violent crime involving the use of a deadly weapon; or when there is a credible threat of those outcomes.
Featured photo credit: Emilie Raguso
