High-Speed Pursuit Ends In San Rafael Where Felon Is Apprehended

SONOMA AND MARIN COUNTIES, CA — A Santa Rosa man who was out on bail for pending criminal court cases is accused of leading multiple law enforcement agencies on a high-speed pursuit through two counties early Wednesday morning.

The 52-mile chase started around 2:15 a.m. in Healdsburg when an officer with the Healdsburg Police Department saw a motorcyclist driving without any license plates. When officers initiated a traffic stop, the suspect did not yield; instead, he took off south on U.S. Highway 101 at speeds of 115-130 MPH, Healdsburg police said.

Sonoma County sheriff's deputies and a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew soon stepped in to help chase the suspect, who was later identified as Buck Christopher Knell, 25, of Santa Rosa.

After the pursuit passed the Sonoma/Marin county line, Knell briefly stopped in Novato where he dumped a backpack with a loaded gun and meth inside, then continued south, according to statements from the Healdsburg and San Rafael police departments.

When Knell reached San Rafael he exited the freeway and as he entered the city, officers from the San Rafael Police Department also joined the chase. As the pursuit reached downtown San Rafael, Knell drove his motorcycle northbound on E Street and into the public parking lot at the Falkirk Cultural Center, San Rafael police said.

With nowhere else to go, Knell drove into a wooded open space where he crashed.

Because officers alleged he'd discarded a loaded firearm, the decision was made to deploy a Sonoma County sheriff's K9 to take him into custody.

The arresting officers noticed Knell was wearing a GPS ankle monitor bracelet. It turned out that the ankle monitor was issued by Sonoma County Superior Court pending his court date for felony cases involving gun possession — including an AR15-style ghost gun and a machine gun — as well as drug offenses and charges for evading officers, police said.

After he was medically cleared, Knell was booked into Sonoma County jail on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing drugs while armed, drug sales, felony evading officers, and committing another offense while out on felony bail, police said.

Knell remained in custody Friday with his bail set at $412,000, jail records showed.

"Thank You to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol, the San Rafael Police Department, and the Marin County Sheriff's Office for the safe and successful apprehension of the suspect," Healdsburg police said.