Email  Print

Lake County man tries to run over cop

A Lake County man who tried to run down a Sonoma police officer early Saturday morning and fled the scene, was arrested without incident Saturday afternoon.

According to Sgt. Spencer Crum, with the Sonoma Police Department, at about 12:20 a.m. Saturday, a Sonoma officer stopped a pickup truck for a mechanical violation on Fourth Street West at West Napa Street. The driver was unable to provide any identification, and the name he gave the officer turned out not to be his.

As the officer questioned the driver about his true identity, the man re-started his ignition after the deputy had him turn it off. The officer and the backup officer, who had also arrived at the scene, ordered the driver to stop and turn off his vehicle. The driver failed to comply and put the vehicle in reverse. The backup officer Tasered the driver from the passenger side, but it was ineffective since the driver had already started backing up.

The suspect backed into the front end of the patrol car causing minor damage to the rear end of the pickup. He then went forward and swerved into the traffic lane and into the direction of the officer who had been at the driver’s side window. The officer jumped out of the way to avoid being hit by the vehicle. The driver then sideswiped a parked Mercedes as he sped off.

Crum said both officers returned to their vehicles and pursued the motorist. But the officers lost the vehicle in the area of West Spain Street and Fourth Street West. The vehicle was later found parked in the 700 block of Lasuen Drive. but the driver was nowhere to be found.

The owner of the vehicle was later contacted and confirmed that the driver of her truck was a 20-year-old Lake County resident, Cameron Selva who is known to frequent Sonoma.

At about 3 p.m. Saturday, a Sonoma officer spotted Selva walking behind the Sonoma Valley Regional Library and he was arrested without incident.

Selva was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on charges of felony assault on a peace officer, hit and run, providing false identification to a peace officer, resisting arrest, failing to yield to officers, and driving on a suspended license. His bail was set at $300,000.