Suspect Arrested After Pursuit, Assault on Police Officers

A 36-year-old Escondido man, driving a stolen car, was arrested following a 10-minute pursuit after the man attempted to run down one police officer and intentionally rammed another patrol car late Sunday night. A Redlands Police officer, working a targeted DUI saturation patrol, initiated a traffic stop on the black 2008 Honda Civic shortly before midnight Sunday, Aug. 23, after witnessing the driver run a stop sign in the area of Clay Street and Colton Avenue. As the officer approached the vehicle, the driver gunned the engine and drove away at a high rate of speed. The officer pursued the vehicle into a dead end in a church parking lot on Clay Street. The officer exited his vehicle and ordered the driver out of the car. As he again approached the vehicle, the driver put the car into reverse, gunned the engine and sped toward the officer who was able to jump out of the way. The driver then drove away, breaking through a fence and continued east on Colton Avenue with the officer again in pursuit. As other units entered the pursuit, one officer entered the area near the intersection of Calhoun and Colton. Although the officer pulled to the curb to avoid collision, the driver intentionally rammed the patrol car. The pursuit continued east on Colton Avenue until the first officer was able to perform a PIT maneuver, forcing the suspect vehicle to a stop near the intersection of Colton Avenue and Ohio Street. The Pursuit Intervention Technique, or PIT maneuver, is used when a suspect shows disregard for the safety of officers and the general public. There were no pedestrians or other vehicles in the area when the maneuver was performed. Police arrested Matthew Cory Allen, a transient originally from Escondido. The vehicle was found to be an unreported stolen car out of Rancho Cucamonga. Allen suffered minor abrasions and was treated on scene by Redlands Fire Department paramedics. No other injuries were reported. Two police vehicles received minimum to moderate damage. Allen was arrested for felony evasion, possession of a stolen vehicle and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.