Man allegedly assaults family, leads police chase

A 46-year-old Petaluma man was arrested Friday after his wife and son were assaulted, police officers were nearly hit during a car chase and the suspect took a fighting stance against police, officers said.

Darren Holloway was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of felony domestic violence, felony assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, felony evading police and misdemeanor child abuse and resisting a peace officer, according to Petaluma police.

At about 11 p.m. Friday, Petaluma police were dispatched to a residence on Lindberg Circle just north of the McNear Channel on a report of domestic incident between a husband and wife, police Sgt. Ron Klein said.

When officers pulled up to the residence, they saw Holloway walking toward a vehicle, but when they ordered him to stop, he ignored them, got into his vehicle and drove at an officer who had to leap out of the way to avoid being hit, according to Klein.

Holloway then drove away from the residence and another officer pursued him in a patrol car with emergency lights and siren on, police said.

At one point, the suspect drove directly toward the patrol car and at the last moment veered away, then led Petaluma officers on a chase of about a mile and a half, reaching speeds of more than 60 mph, Klein said.

The suspect ended up driving back to his residence and into the driveway after failing to stop at multiple stop signs, officers said.

A canine officer and his partner confronted Holloway, who did not obey orders to surrender and then took a fighting stance with clenched fists, police said.

The canine officer told him that he would use the police dog to subdue him unless he cooperated and in reply Holloway surrendered, according to Klein.

Officers interviewed Holloway’s wife and son and determined that his wife had been assaulted and suffered minor injuries to her face and neck while the son received lacerations on his hand and arm and complained of pain in his neck and back from being thrown to the floor by the suspect, Klein said.

Holloway was held on $500,000 bail after he was booked into the county jail, he said.