OAKLAND — An Oakland police SUV in pursuit of a carjacking suspect was gutted by fire Saturday night when the officer driving it swerved into a pole to avoid another vehicle that had suddenly stopped in front of him, authorities said Sunday.
The officer was OK, and the carjacking suspect was later captured in San Leandro.
Police said the carjacking happened about 9:40 p.m. Saturday in the 1800 block of Rosedale Avenue in East Oakland, where a 40-year-old ex-convict simulated a gun and took the vehicle from a man.
Police later spotted the vehicle and initiated pursuit, chasing the suspect onto freeways and even briefly into Alameda.
As the chase neared the High Street offramp on eastbound Interstate 580, another vehicle stopped in front of the police SUV.
The officer swerved to avoid it and crashed into a pole, causing the SUV to catch fire. The officer was able to get out on his own. He was taken to a hospital for observation and was released.
About the same time, police ground units started backing off as an Oakland police helicopter began following the carjacked vehicle.
The suspect abandoned the vehicle in San Leandro and tried to flee on foot, but the helicopter was able to direct officers on the ground to his location, and he was arrested.
His name was not immediately released.
Contact Harry Harris at 510-208-6443 and follow him at Twitter.com/harryharris15
