Police Shoot at Stolen Vehicle Suspect After Pursuit

By Bay City News Service

A Vallejo man suffered minor injuries when two police officers shot at him after a vehicle pursuit that began in Contra Costa County this morning, a Vallejo police sergeant said.

Timothy Morales, 32, suffered a minor wound to his shoulder that was caused by flying debris from the gunfire, Sgt. Jeff Bassett said. He was taken to a local hospital before he was booked into the Solano County jail.

The pursuit began when a Contra Costa County sheriff's deputy and an Oakley police K-9 officer tried to stop a 1995 Acura that was reported stolen in Vallejo on May 31, Bassett said.

Morales failed to yield and fled toward Vallejo, Bassett said. The California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit on Interstate Highway 80 with support from the Oakley officer, Bassett said.

Vallejo police joined the pursuit when it reached Vallejo around 11:41 a.m., Bassett said. Morales exited Highway 80 six minutes later and drove onto Vallejo city streets at a high rate of speed for several miles, Bassett said.

Vallejo police performed a pursuit immobilization technique as Morales drove onto the transition ramp from Interstate Highway 780 to eastbound Highway 80, Bassett said.

The stopping maneuver caused the Acura to spin but Morales kept control of the car and struck two Vallejo police vehicles while trying to escape, Bassett said.

Morales drove directly at the Vallejo and Oakley officers who had left their vehicles to arrest Morales, Bassett said.

The two officers recognized they were in danger of being struck by Morales and both fired their weapons, Bassett said. The officers were not injured.

Morales has felony convictions for theft, drug and weapons offenses and served five separate prison sentences, Bassett said.

He was wanted on a Solano County no bail warrant for a probation violation, Bassett said.