Texas man had been driving erratically
A California Highway Patrol officer pursued an erratic driver on Highway 101 just north of Castro Valley Road on Monday when the Texas man wouldn’t stop his vehicle.
Motorists called police complaining that someone was driving recklessly on a flat tire. The suspect shortly after 1:30 p.m. then drove by the patrol vehicle of CHP officer Chris Armstrong – who’s also the Gilroy-Hollister area office spokesman – at a high rate of speed, according to a press release from the CHP.
Armstrong noticed the suspect was driving on a completely destroyed tire and the vehicle was riding on a bare metal wheel, the statement said. The suspect didn’t stop when Armstrong attempted a traffic stop.
Armstrong used his sirens and the vehicle’s full emergency lights and he directed verbal commands at the suspect to stop, according to the press release.
During the pursuit the suspect attempted to ram the patrol car and another motorist’s vehicle. When the suspect’s vehicle approached San Juan Road, Armstrong used the “Pitt” maneuver to forcibly stop the vehicle. The pursuit ended with no injuries.
Armstrong had a brief struggle with 26-year-old Adam Butler of Texas before he was taken into custody. Butler is being held on a $158,000 bond.
