A suspect believed to be armed was apprehended early Friday morning after leading police on a dangerous high-speed chase that spanned from Miramar to downtown San Diego and National City, according to authorities.
According to the San Diego Police Department, the incident began shortly before 2 a.m. when San Diego Airborne Law Enforcement (ABLE) responded to a report of a “disturbance with a weapon” at a business in the 8600 block of Miramar Road.
Police said a man was seen outside a business brandishing a firearm and causing a “violent disturbance” before getting into an Audi A-10 parked in the lot.
ABLE officers arrived overhead just as the suspect was about to flee the scene and began tracking the vehicle as it sped westbound on Miramar Road at speeds exceeding 90 mph, according to police.
According to authorities, the person then took Interstate 805 southbound and drove at speeds of more than 100 mph with his lights off.
Ground patrol troops ultimately caught up with the suspect vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to stop, prompting a pursuit.
Police eventually decided to end the chase owing to safety concerns, but ABLE continued to follow the culprit from the air as he drove through downtown San Diego and into National City.
During the pursuit, investigators said the man went the wrong way down Fifth Avenue downtown at speeds exceeding 80 mph while driving without headlights.
Officers later resumed the pursuit near Harbor Drive, where spike strips were effectively deployed, officials said.
The suspect eventually drove into a dead end near the 800 block of 17th Street, where pursuing officers employed patrol vehicles to prevent the Audi from fleeing “to mitigate public risk,” according to SDPD.
A standoff ensued before officers used several “less-than-lethal” devices, along with a K-9 unit, to apprehend the suspect. The man’s identity has not been published, and it is unclear whether a weapon was seized.
There were no injuries reported.
The event is still under investigation by SDPD. Anyone with information about the pursuit or disturbance is invited to contact Crime Stoppers at 619-235-8477.
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