* Vanessa Williams faces charges of resisting arrest, assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run, and other violations in Berkeley
Published by Staff Reporter on March 25, 2011
A Berkeley woman faces charges of resisting arrest, assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run and other violations for allegedly ramming her car into two police cars and an apartment building early today while trying to flee from police. According to Berkeley police Lt. Kevin Schofield, officers tried to detain 24-year-old Vanessa Williams in a residential driveway in the 1500 block of Stuart Street at about 1:47 a.m. Police said Williams was in a 1996 Honda Passport that was listed as a wanted “felony vehicle” because it was used as the getaway vehicle in a robbery and assault with a deadly weapon at a grocery store in Berkeley on March 18. Officers had spotted the vehicle several blocks away and had followed it to the driveway on Stuart Street, police said. According to Schofield, Williams refused all orders from the officers to comply and instead revved the engine of her SUV. Williams then put the vehicle into reverse and rammed into one of the police cars that was at the scene, police said. After pulling forward, Williams again put the car in reverse, narrowly missed a police officer and struck a support column for the apartment building’s staircase, according to authorities. Still in reverse, Williams struck the apartment building and hit the same police car a second time, police said. Continuing to try to get away, Williams sped over a lawn and collided with another police car, rendering it inoperable, Schofield said. Williams also nearly struck two other police officers, he said. As Williams fled east on Stuart Street in her Honda Passport, she aimed it at a responding police car and nearly crashed into it head on, according to police. Williams next fled north on California Street, just past Dwight Way, where she turned into a home’s driveway, Schofield said. Williams crashed though a wooden fence and fled on foot, Schofield said. She was pursued on foot by several officers and was taken into custody after a brief struggle, he said. No one was injured in any of the incidents, according to police. One of the charges against Williams is that she violated her probation for a previous conviction. Schofield said police are still investigating the original robbery and assault in the March 18 incident at the grocery store.
Copyright © 2011 by Bay City News, Inc. — Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
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