ANTIOCH — An officer who pursued a stolen vehicle Sunday night survived gunfire that came during the chase, police said Monday.
The “several rounds” that came at the officer damaged the patrol car but did not injure anyone, according to a statement from Antioch police Lt. Rick Martin.
That pursuit was one of two that police took up after responding to the same area for reports of stolen vehicles, Martin said.
It all started about 10:25 p.m. Martin said police responded to the area of Lone Tree Way and Deer Valley Road for reports of a stolen vehicle out of San Francisco. Martin said when the officer pulled in behind the vehicle, it sped off and the officer followed.
Somebody in the stolen vehicle fired, and more than one shot hit the patrol car, Martin said. The pursuit continued into Brentwood after the vehicle got onto Highway 4 at Jeffrey Way in Antioch. Martin said the officers lost sight of the vehicle in the area of Golf Course Road and Cache Peak Drive, and that it was later found abandoned near the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center on Deer Valley Road.
Martin said police then returned to the original scene at Lone Tree Way and Deer Valley Road to look for evidence and saw a vehicle reported stolen out of Concord driving without the headlights on. Antioch and Brentwood police pursued that car, and its occupants ran away after abandoning it in the area of Lone Tree Way and Heidorn Ranch Road.
Police found a rifle and shell casings at that scene but did not find the suspects despite surrounding the area, Martin said.
Pittsburg police also provided assistance during the incidents.
Police continued to search for the suspects Monday and Martin urged anyone with information to call him at 925-779-6972 or the department at 925-778-2441.