Fresno police: Driver high on pot tries to elude officers, causes crash

A man under the influence of marijuana and carrying weed in his vehicle led officers on a low-speed pursuit through northwest Fresno on Tuesday morning, police reported.

Police Lt. Joe Gomez identified him as Emtwon Joseph James Anderson, 30.

Officers first saw Anderson near North Marks and West Dakota avenues just after 7 a.m. Gomez said he failed to yield for the flashing lights of a school bus and an officer tried to make a traffic stop. The pursuit began near West Shaw and North Marty avenues.

When Anderson turned north onto Marty, the pursuing officer was struck by a southbound motorist in a Mazda, which careened into a traffic pole. The Mazda driver sustained a mouth injury when the airbag deployed, Gomez said.

Anderson continued north until he was detained by an officer in an unmarked pickup truck on North Brawley Avenue.

Anderson, a sex registrant on parole for a gun violation, said he did not want to stop because he was carrying the marijuana and was on probation, Gomez said, and admitted to smoking dope in the car.

He was charged with a a probation violation, evading an officer and possession of marijuana.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Fresno police: Driver high on pot tries to elude officers, causes crash."