HIDDEN VALLEY — Deputies arrested Zachary James Eads, 33, for attempted murder of a peace officer and a gamut of other charges after a high-speed chase through the quiet neighborhoods of Hidden Valley Lake in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Deputies responded to Hartmann Road on the direction of HVL security, where they found Eads fleeing the area in a Ford F-250 pickup truck, according to a press release by Sheriff Rodney Mitchell.
Eads reportedly crossed Highway 29 and crashed into a power pole, starting a small vegetation fire along the highway, then fled the area. According to Captain Bob Barron of Cal Fire”s Middletown station, about a 20-foot by 30-foot grassy spot burned, which took about 10 minutes to put out.
Eads lead pursuing Lake County Sheriff”s deputies through the otherwise quiet community around Hidden Valley Lake after he didn”t pull over as required by law when Sgt. Brian Martin turned on his overhead emergency lights, writes Mitchell.
The chase ensued at high speeds through residential neighborhoods in the area until two pursuing patrol cars pulled a “pit maneuver” in a cul-de-sac at the end of Spyglass Road.
To perform a pit maneuver, a deputy uses the front bumper of a patrol car to push against the rear corner of the vehicle being pursued, explains Mitchell in his Monday press release. “This causes the pursued vehicle to lose rear-wheel traction as it is forced into a position leaving the front end trapped by the front of a second deputy”s vehicle,” Mitchell writes.
Sgt. Jim Samples, who had a civilian ride-along in his car, pulled in front of Eads” truck, trapping it between his and Sgt. Martin”s car behind it. Eads drove into Sgt. Samples” car, deploying the vehicle”s air bags.
At this point, the ride-along passenger got away to safety, Mitchell said.
Despite repeated verbal commands to get out of his truck, Eads rammed both vehicles as he tried to get enough traction to climb over the driver”s side of Sgt. Samples” patrol car with his truck. His ascent bent the car”s hood in half and forced it up in front of the windshield.
“Sgt. Martin successfully stopped Eads” attack on Sgt. Samples by firing his duty weapon into Eads” truck,” writes Mitchell, after which Eads continued to physically resist arrest. He reportedly threatened hospital staff where he was taken for medical clearance and the deputy who took him there.
Eads was booked into the Lake County Jail later Saturday on charges of attempted murder of a peace officer, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting and obstructing a peace officer, felony evasion, terrorist threats and unlawfully causing a fire. He is being held on $1 million bail for one felony count of attempted murder, according to his booking detail sheet.
Mitchell reported that Eads had “minor injuries,” but not gunshot wounds.
Both patrol cars were damaged, however, with Sgt. Samples” car taking “significant damage” to the front end and engine compartment, and Sgt. Martin”s driver”s door bent.
The cul-de-sac was shut down for the majority of Saturday as investigators processed the scene, said Mitchell, and no injuries were reported in the community.
Mitchell cited a conflict of interest in asking the District Attorney”s Office to investigate the incident, as standard protocol would dictate, because Sgt. Martin has relatives employed in that department. He contacted California Highway Patrol and requested a specialized critical incident team from Redding to investigate the incident instead.
“It is likely that this case will be forwarded to the Attorney General”s Office for review because of the same potential for a conflict of interest listed above,” writes Mitchell. “That determination will be made by the District Attorney”s Office after they receive and review all relevant reports.”
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
