Full Notification

PRESS RELEASE

Suspect Crashes into Home after Fleeing from Officers

For Immediate Release

Sunday, February 17, 2019 7:57 AM Case Number: 19-0000714

Contact: Cmdr. Aaron Johnson (707)588-3580 Mon-Thu 8-5 (PIO)

ROHNERT PARK, CA – On 02/16/2019, at around 10:25pm, a Rohnert Park Public Safety Officer went to the 76 gas station at 5060 Redwood Drive in Rohnert Park to check in with the clerk as part of the department’s Community Policing efforts. As the officer was walking into the store, he saw a silver Volvo pulled up to a gas pump with two people inside and no license plates on the car. When the officer came back out of the store, he saw one male outside the car and two males in the front seats. The Volvo also now had an out of state license plate on the back of it. The officer became suspicious the Volvo was possibly stolen or had been used in some other crime, so he and another officer went to talk to the occupants and investigate the car.

As the officers made contact with the male standing outside, and then attempted to speak with the males sitting in the car, the driver of the car suddenly drove off leaving the other male behind. Officers began checking the area for the Volvo, and the other occupants of the car left behind claimed they didn’t know the driver and other passenger. Approximately 15 minutes later, Rohnert Park’s K-9 officer found the Volvo at the Chevron located 4990 Commerce Blvd. The officer went to make contact with the occupants, and the Volvo fled again going northbound on Commerce Blvd. The officer activated his emergency lights and siren, and the Volvo sped off going northbound on Redwood Dr. and then west on Milbrae Ave. The Volvo continued west on Milbrae Ave reaching speeds of over 100 MPH.

After pursuing the Volvo for less than two minutes, the Volvo attempted to turn north on Arlington Ave. The Volvo missed the turn and went through a fence into a field, hitting a berm which sent the car airborne. The Volvo flew into a large enclosed trailer that was parked in front of a residence. The vehicle colliding into the trailer produced enough force to cause the trailer to crash into the residence. The vehicle came to a stop inside the trailer up off the ground (see below photo). The driver, 40 year old George Lawton of Cloverdale, had to be extricated from the vehicle and suffered minor injuries. Lawton was transported by Ambulance to the hospital for a medical evaluation. Lawton displayed signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance and he smelled of alcohol. It was determined no one else had been in the car with Lawton when he fled the second time, and after further investigation it was determined the Volvo was not stolen.

Once Lawton had been medically cleared by a doctor, he began fighting with officers again in the hospital parking lot as they were about to transport him to the Sonoma County Jail. Lawton had to be placed in a restraint to keep him from injuring himself or anyone else, and then he was taken to the County Jail where he was booked on charges of Resisting and Delaying an Officer for the first time he fled, and then Felony Evading an Officer and Driving Under the Influence after the second time he fled and led officers on the pursuit. It is unknown what Lawton’s blood alcohol level was or what else he was under the influence of pending analysis.