Rohnert Park K9 Bites, Takes Down Suspect After Pursuit: Police

ROHNERT PARK, CA — A Rohnert Park police dog helped take down a suspect after a lengthy chase through Cloverdale early Friday, according to authorities.

Around 12:21 a.m., a deputy monitoring traffic on Northbound Highway 101 near Lytton Springs Road saw a dark Chevrolet sedan braking and nearly coming to a stop on the freeway, authorities said. The deputy followed the car, which was traveling at 20 miles per hour and serving toward the center divider.

After the deputy turned on his lights, the driver stopped the car in the fast lane, and the driver, Julian Diaz, 31, of Hayward, was told to pull over onto the right shoulder, away from the roadway. Instead, Diaz drove away, police said.

Police initiated a pursuit along Highway 101 into Cloverdale, at speeds ranging from 10 to 65 miles per hour. After police set up a spike strip near Citrus Fair Drive, Diaz drove over the spikes and came to a stop north of the Highway 128 exit, police said.

Deputies stopped Diaz and instructed him in English and Spanish to surrender. As they spoke with him, Diaz threw punches into the air and talked to himself, according to police. Authorities also shot a chemical round into the air, which did not affect him.

"Ori," a Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety canine, responded to help with the standoff, jumped through the front passenger window and bit Diaz on the right arm, police said. As he struggled with the dog, police pulled Diaz out of the car. Officers tased him as he "continued to resist," according to police.

Diaz was arrested and hospitalized for treatment for his dog bite. He was later booked into the Sonoma County Jail for felony evading, resisting arrest and being under the influence of a controlled substance. He is being held on $20,000 bail.