Berkeley Officer Hurt In Confrontation With Suspected Thief

BERKELEY (KCBS/BCN) - A Berkeley Police officer was hospitalized with a head injury after a confrontation with a robbery suspect Tuesday afternoon.

Shortly before 4:40 p.m., officers from the Berkeley Police Department responded to Ecole Bilingue De Berkeley—a French language school located in the 1000 block of Heinz Avenue in Berkeley—on reports that a wallet theft had just occurred, according to Berkeley Police Sgt. Mary Kusmiss.

When officers arrived at the scene, witnesses provided police with a description of the 32-year-old Oakland man and his car, Kusmiss said.

Police then began doing area checks of convenience stores and gas stations to locate the alleged robber.

Kusmiss said that an officer spotted the man and his white Volvo at the Econo gas station, near Eighth Street and University Avenue, just over a mile away from the school.

"The officer tried to prevent him from getting in the car and the suspect ended up dragging the officer forward with the car, and then threw the car into reverse and accelerated," said Kusmiss. "He then went forward again, knocking the officer down in the parking lot."

The officer struck his head on the ground as the suspect jumped back in his car and sped off.

Backup officers were able to give pursuit to the suspect. They nabbed him about ten minutes later, when the suspect tried to bail out of his car and flee on foot near Dwight Way and Sixth Street.

He faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, as well as theft charges.

The injured officer remained hospitalized with injuries which are not considered life threatening.

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