Driver Attempts Assault on Vacaville PD Officers Who Shoot Back
Two Vacaville Police officers shot at a car that attempted to run them down the night of January 30, hitting a passenger while escaping injury themselves. The driver, Antonio Lopez Vasquez, 25 of Vacaville, and the car’s two other occupants, described as Hispanic, were arrested.
“It could have ended tragically,” said Vacaville Police spokesman Lieutenant John Carli.
The Hide-A-Way is at the end of Orange Road next to the Quality Inn
It all began at the Hide-A-Way Lounge when the suspects harassed several female servers. “It wasn’t just verbal. They were getting touchy,” said a witness. When the men were requested to leave one ripped a fire alarm off the wall. Security escorted the men to an exit while the alarm blared. The suspects got into a silver Honda in the parking lot and “spun several donuts” before taking off.
Vasquez then spotted, across an open field, Vacaville police officers conducting an unrelated traffic stop on Walnut Road. Turning off the Honda’s headlights, he aimed the car at the officers and accelerated. The officers shot at the onrushing vehicle and jumped out of the way, narrowly escaping injury or death.
Vasquez did not go far before he spotted a police car across this field.
The Honda knocked over a PG&E high voltage receptacle, barreled between parked cars and finally stopped in Leisure Town Road. The officers assisted the occupant of the car they’d stopped and arrested the Honda’s three occupants. The passenger whom they’d shot suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
“It’s a very odd act,” said Carli, “No one understands why the car left the roadway.”
The Hide-A-Way witness said, “Those guys had a weird group dynamics, like they were egging each other on.” Investigation into the incident continues.
Read More:
Daily Republic: Officer-involved shooting leaves 1 with minor injuries
Photos: hideawaylounge-grill.com, Google Maps
