Chase, Standoff Closes U.S. Highway 101 In Sonoma County: CHP

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Cloverdale man was taken into custody after a chase and standoff Monday night on U.S. Highway 101, the California Highway Patrol said.

The pursuit started at 9:59 p.m. when a CHP officer saw the driver of a Pontiac Grand Prix going over 100 mph on southbound U.S. 101 at River Road, CHP Officer Marcus Hawkins said.

The officer activated his lights and tried to stop the Pontiac but the driver kept going for some 8 miles down the 101 until he pulled into the center median north of Todd Road and stopped his car, Hawkins said.

When the driver, later identified by the CHP as 28-year-old Cloverdale resident Feliciano Lopez Ramirez, did not comply or respond to law enforcement commands given in both Spanish and English, CHP decided to close US 101 in both the northbound and southbound directions at Todd Road.

That was at 10:06 p.m.

The freeway remained closed as the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Hostage Negotiation Team was requested and got to the scene at 11:01 p.m.

Negotiators tried to establish communication with the driver, but he remained non-compliant, Hawkins said.

At 11:36 p.m., Ramirez accelerated the Pontiac away from the scene and ran over prepositioned spike strips, resulting in a flat tire.

Ramirez got off the freeway at the Todd Road exit and continued driving westbound on Todd with a flat tire.

Ramirez drove for about 2 miles until officers did a PIT —Pursuit Intervention Technique —maneuver and brought the Pontiac to a stop.

Sonoma County sheriff's deputies removed Lopez Ramirez from the Pontiac and he was placed under arrest at 11:49 p.m.

After he was cleared by medical personnel, Ramirez was taken to Sonoma County jail where he was booked on suspicion of evading police, driving under the influence of drugs, possession of drugs, driving while unlicensed, and outstanding warrants for his arrest, Hawkins said.

The freeway was closed in both directions until 11:49 p.m., the time of Ramirez's arrest.

Jail records Tuesday morning showed Ramirez was being held in lieu of $40,000 bail.