A high-speed chase Wednesday evening through east Carson City at the Fifth Street roundabout ended when a Washoe Tribal officer rear-ended the suspect's vehicle.
The incident began at State and William streets about 6:40 p.m. after Deputy Steve Olson recognized motorist Jaime Lopez as being wanted on a felony drug trafficking warrant.
Olson said he pulled Lopez over across from Mills Park and called for backup.
When Olson got off his motorcycle and began to remove his helmet, Lopez allegedly drove off on State Street to Long Street.
Officers pursued the Neon sedan on Russell Street, Northridge Drive, Lompa Lane, Sherman Way, College Parkway, Brown Street and Fairview Drive. At the roundabout it went west on Fifth Street.
Officers had the vehicle surrounded behind the car wash near the Winner's Corner, but the Neon squeezed past a patrol SUV and headed south on Saliman Road, blowing through the stoplight at Fairview Drive and the four-way stop at Colorado Street.
At Koontz Lane, a Washoe Tribal officer rammed
the Neon.
With about eight law enforcement vehicles in pursuit, the driver wound through Koontz, Edmonds, Fairview Drive, Butti, Airport Road, Desatoya Drive, and again on Fairview Drive approaching the roundabout.
According to Deputy Nathan Brehm, who was in the second patrol car behind the Neon, the suspect vehicle turned onto east Fifth Street toward Eagle Valley Middle School, then headed back west into the roundabout.
When the Neon slowed for the maneuver, a Washoe Tribal vehicle driven by Tribal Officer Daniel Coller rear-ended the Neon, bringing it to a stop at 6:57 p.m., said Brehm.
Lopez struggled with officers as they attempted to cuff him.
He was taken to the hospital for a minor scrape sustained in the crash, said Sheriff Ken Furlong.
"He's a known drug trafficking offender that we've been looking for," said Furlong. "He came around the corner straight at me (during the chase). I was looking him dead in the eye and there was no care or concern in his face. That really put us on the edge where we would have to give up and let him go. But he kept circling back into us."
Lopez will be booked on the federal trafficking warrant and is expected to be charged in the pursuit.
Additional charges were not available at press time.
This was shot on Fairview Drive near the National Guard Armory and Butti Way in front of the animal shelter.
The date at the start of the video should read 2009.