2 sought after San Rafael police officer injured by driver in stolen vehicle
SAN RAFAEL – Police in San Rafael are searching for two people connected with the assault of a police officer who was attempting to stop a suspected car thief last week.
Around 4:45 p.m. Thursday, officers were called to a Mercedes-Benz dealership on Francisco Boulevard West on reports of a stolen vehicle. Witnesses said a male suspect walked into the service garage and stole a customer's vehicle, described as a 2021 black Mercedes GLS450 SUV.
Officers attempted to work with the vehicle's owner to locate the SUV using GPS, but the application was not working at the time of the incident.
Several hours later, around 10:15 p.m., the vehicle owner contacted police, saying the GPS app was again working and that the SUV was still in San Rafael, in the city's Canal neighborhood. Officers were able to locate the vehicle as it entered the San Rafael Yacht Harbor on Francisco Boulevard East.
An officer attempted to pull over the vehicle in the harbor parking lot. Police said while the officer was giving commands, the SUV suddenly reversed and the officer was pinned when the stolen vehicle collided with the driver's door of the police car.
The driver attempted to flee but was blocked by other officers who arrived on scene. Meanwhile, the officer had fallen to the ground due to injuries.
Police said the suspect rammed another police car, then drove to the back of the parking lot before coming back towards the officers at what was described as a "high rate of speed." The suspect then drove back towards the injured officer, who was limping at the time.
Two other officers placed themselves between the advancing vehicle and the injured officer, pointing their weapons, police said.
Officers then saw a woman sitting in the passenger seat of the stolen vehicle, before the suspect again drove to the back of the parking lot.
Witnesses told police that the suspect fled towards a boat dock, while one other witness said the suspect may have jumped into the water. A search of the area did not locate the suspect or the passenger.
The injured officer was taken to the hospital and was released a short time later. On Monday, police said the officer is expected to make a full recovery.
The suspect is described as a man between the ages of 25 to 40, standing 6 feet talk with shoulder-length dreadlocks. He was seen wearing a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. A detailed description of the passenger was not immediately available.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact San Rafael Police by calling 415-485-3000 or by visiting http://www.srpd.org/tips.
