SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An 18-year-old Modesto resident is behind bars after leading Stanislaus County Sheriff deputies on a 100 mph chase throughout the streets of north Modesto and into the outskirts of Riverbank early Thursday morning. The interaction with law enforcement started with a call of a domestic dispute and ended with a K9 deputy biting the man and deputies taking him into custody.
According to a community alert from the sheriff's office, deputies with Riverbank Police Services responded to a home near Crawford Road and Oakdale Road in Riverbank for a call of a domestic dispute just after 3 a.m. When law enforcement got there, they spoke with a woman who said she was a "victim of criminal threats, domestic violence, false imprisonment, vandalism and a residential burglary." During the interaction, deputies identified the suspect as Thomas Harry.
Eventually, deputies found Harry at a park in Modesto. According to a press release, Harry did not cooperate and started to yell at law enforcement. At some point, he allegedly pulled out a knife and lunged at deputies in an attempt to draw "them into an officer-involved shooting." The sheriff's office says deputies used their less-than-lethal beanbag shotgun, hitting Harry. But the rounds did not stop him, and he then jumped in his car and took off.
Deputies said Harry took law enforcement on a short chase reaching speeds of over 100 mph. Modesto Police Department officers responded to assist with the chase by deploying stop sticks near the intersection of Sylvan and Roselle Avenue. This worked and resulted in Harry crashing his car into a nearby retaining wall.
Law enforcement said Harry then took off on foot in an effort to escape arrest by jumping into people's yards. Eventually, Harry was found when the sheriff's office said a citizen called to say an intruder was in their backyard, as well with the assistance of our aerial drone team. Once he was found, deputies said he still didn't cooperate and the K9 deputy had to apprehend him.
Harry was taken in for treatment and evaluation at a nearby local area hospital. He was eventually medically cleared and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center for six felonies and three misdemeanor charges.
Here is a breakdown of the charges:
- Domestic violence
- Burglary
- False imprisonment
- Vandalism
- Evasion during the vehicle pursuit
- Obstructing
- Delaying or resisting a peace officer
- Threaten a crime with the intent to terrorize
- Brandishing a firearm or weapon charges
Harry is being held on $211,000 bail.
