Police say suspect nearly hit officer before chase from Novato to San Francisco

An East Bay man who allegedly drove his vehicle at an officer was arrested Sunday afternoon after leading authorities on a chase from Novato into San Francisco.

Events unfolded after a community member told a patrol officer that there was a man handling a gun inside an SUV parked near Target, in the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center in Novato.

An officer approached the SUV and spotted a black handgun inside, but before contact could be made the vehicle headed toward the officer, according to a release from Novato police.

According to police, the SUV narrowly missed hitting the officer and fled. The officer followed the vehicle and tried to pull it over but the driver didn’t stop and began driving recklessly in opposite lanes of traffic, police said.

The officer stopped pursuing for safety reasons, but another Novato officer spotted the SUV headed west on Rowland Boulevard.

The SUV was then pursued by police until it entered southbound U.S. Highway 101 and the California Highway Patrol took over as the vehicle reached Highway 37.

A CHP aircraft eventually took over the pursuit and monitored the SUV as it drove into San Francisco, where it crashed on Montgomery Street.

San Francisco police detained the driver, identified as a 30-year-old Alameda County man, and recovered two replica firearms from the suspect’s vehicle.

The suspect was on parole and had an outstanding arrest warrant for burglary from Alameda County, police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of assault on an officer, reckless evasion, and display of a replica firearm, and booked at Marin County Jail.