Search continues for man who drove onto airport tarmac, ran toward Bay

Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies are prepared to search “throughout the night” for a man who evaded deputies attempting a traffic stop Sunday, crashed his way onto an Oakland International Airport tarmac and continued on into San Francisco Bay, deputies said Sunday night.

A sheriff’s office social media post reads:

“We searched with dogs, boats, helicopters and drones.”

“It’s possible the suspect drowned.”

Sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly said Sunday night that a deputy tried to pull over a pickup truck near the airport shortly before noon Sunday that had been seen running a stop sign.

Kelly said:

“He took off down an (airport) access road and right through the ‘A Gate’ and smashed into it at over 50 mph.”

The pickup then rolled out onto the airport tarmac and about two miles to the northwest edge of the airport near Bay Farm Island, where its driver abandoned the vehicle and headed toward the water. Kelly said officers didn’t see the man enter the water, but noted dogs tracking the man’s scent were led from the pickup to the water’s edge.

The pickup truck was registered to an owner at a Santa Cruz County residence. Deputies found several “Airsoft” replica firearms inside the truck.

Deputies will continue to search the water off the airport through the night and into Monday, if necessary, to find the man, Kelly said.