Taser Deployed In Arrest Of Palo Alto Carjacking Suspect

PALO ALTO, CA – Officers deployed a Taser when a carjacking suspect resisted arrest Sunday at a Palo Alto shopping center, police said.

Around 6:35 a.m., the Palo Alto Police Department received multiple calls reporting a woman screaming for help outside a Peet’s Coffee at the Town and Country Shopping Center at 855 El Camino Real.

Once at the scene, officers learned the woman had parked her car, a 2013 BMW SUV, at the shopping center and exited to go into a nearby business, leaving her car unlocked with the keys inside.

Before entering the business, however, the woman noticed a man getting into the driver's seat of her vehicle, police said.

The woman tried to stop the man, kicking him and yelling for help. A bystander tried to intervene, but the suspect allegedly threatened to kill him, according to police.

When officers arrived, the suspect was still in the vehicle and refused to exit.

The suspect finally did exit the SUV and moved "in an aggressive manner" toward the officer, who deployed a Taser stun gun, striking the suspect, police said.

Because the stun gun was used, medical crews took the suspect to a hospital for evaluation before he was booked into custody on suspicion of carjacking and resisting arrest.

He's since been identified as 53-year-oldWilliam Blair Chase, with no permanent address, police said.

While officers were investigating the carjacking, they also learned a 1999 Mercedes sedan had been left open in a different part of the shopping center.

Inside, officers found a wallet containing the suspect's driver's license.

Although the Mercedes hadn't been reported stolen, officers were unable to reach the owner and are continuing to investigate whether it was taken unlawfully.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Palo Alto Police Department's 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413.

Anonymous tips can also be left via the department's mobile app, at (650) 383-8984 or at paloalto@tipnow.org.

— Bay City News and Patch Editor Gideon Rubin contributed to this report