Paroled Felon Arrested in Sonoma County After High Speed Chase

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- A man was arrested after he allegedly led officers on a vehicle pursuit and drove his vehicle at an officer Sunday evening in Santa Rosa, police said.

At 7:21 p.m. on May 28, a Santa Rosa police officer attempted to pull over a gold Honda Accord for vehicle code violations in the area of West Avenue and West Court, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Dave Marconi said.

According to police, the driver sped away from the officer, drove south on West Avenue and turned east onto McMaster Lane, a dead-end street.

The officer followed the driver into the dead-end street, at which point the driver turned around and drove straight toward the officer, Marconi said.

The front bumper of the Honda struck the officer's car, but the damage was minor because the officer reacted quickly and avoided a head-on collision, according to Marconi.

The pursuit continued on city streets, where speeds reached 70 mph and the driver violated numerous vehicle codes, Marconi said. The driver eventually stopped the Honda and fled on foot.

Police surrounded the area and located the suspect near U.S. Highway 101 and the Prince Memorial Greenway where he was taken into custody.

According to police, the suspect was identified as 44-year-old Douglas Rupert, a felon on parole out of Lake County for burglary. He had a female passenger in the vehicle who was released.

Rupert was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of evading police, assault with a deadly weapon on an officer, parole violation and possessing narcotics, police said.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Shutterstock