Man arrested after pursuit in Clovis, backs into patrol car, police say

CLOVIS, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A 44-year-old man who led Clovis Police on a pursuit, punched out the sunroof of the stolen car, and backed into a police patrol vehicle, was arrested on Monday, officers say.

Police say just before 9 a.m. an officer on patrol noticed a suspicious car and driver in a neighborhood near Peach and Shaw. The driver, identified as 44-year-old Ivan Rangel from Fresno, sped away after seeing two police vehicles.

Officers say they tried pulling the car over, but Rangel ended up speeding away again. An officer was later able to use a PIT maneuver to get the car to stop. Police say Rangel continued to ignore the officer’s instructions and was punching out the sunroof of his car while yelling and screaming. At one point, police say, he backed into one of the police cars causing damage.

Officers say they used non-lethal pepper ball rounds to subdue Rangel and took him into custody.

Officers say they found a loaded stolen handgun on the front seat of the car, along with drug paraphernalia and illegal drugs.

Police say Rangel was booked into the Fresno County Jail for suspicion of several felonies, and possessing a loaded stolen handgun, evading, violation of probation, possession of a controlled substance, and two felony warrants.

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