Man evading Fresno police is shot after backing into patrol cars at Simonian Farms

A man trying to evade Fresno police was shot early Sunday when he crashed into a gate at Simonian Farms southeast of Fresno then backed into two patrol vehicles, injuring one officer, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said.

The incident began when Fresno police were called to the intersection of South Backer and East Florence avenues around 12:45 a.m. to check on a suspicious vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. The vehicle sped off and a Fresno police helicopter began to follow it.

Fresno police soon learned the vehicle was driving through a field near Highway 99 and Clovis Avenue. Officers chased the vehicle while other officers set up a spike strip at the intersection of Clovis and Jensen avenues. The suspect avoided the spikes but crashed through the front gate of Simonian Farms at the southeast corner of the intersection around 1:30 a.m.

Officers had surrounded the vehicle when the suspect backed the car into two patrol cars, causing minor injuries to one officer. Officers then shot at the suspect, hitting him and the vehicle he was in, the sheriff’s office said. No one else was in the car.

The suspect was taken to Community Regional Medical Center where he was reported in stable condition late Sunday morning. He will be booked into the Fresno County Jail on suspicion of assault on a peace officer and evading police, the sheriff’s office said.

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation due to the location of the shooting outside of Fresno’s city limits.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 559-600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867.

This story was originally published July 23, 2017 at 11:20 AM with the headline "Man evading Fresno police is shot after backing into patrol cars at Simonian Farms."