Photo: Zachery Lingle
Originally published as a City of Tracy press release –
“On January 11, 2021, the Tracy Police Department responded to El Pescadero Park just after 8:00 AM when a Tracy Code Enforcement Officer facilitating a routine park clean-up contacted them to report a vehicle driving erratically in the park.
As officers were responding, another call came in to the Tracy Police Department’s Dispatch Center from a member of the City’s Community Preservation Unit who reported that the suspect had driven from another area of the park to where the Code Enforcement Officer was standing and intentionally struck the Code Enforcement Officer with his vehicle.
Multiple witnesses and park goers also called 911 to report the incident and provided aid to the injured Code Enforcement Officer. To prevent further injury to the Code Enforcement Officer and to protect others in the area, a member of the City’s Community Preservation Unit used a heavy equipment tractor to shield them from the vehicle as it continued to drive erratically.
Arriving officers spotted the suspect’s vehicle fleeing the scene and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver, 25-year-old Tracy resident Zachery Lingle, failed to stop and a pursuit ensued until the vehicle lost a tire and finally came to a stop on MacArthur Drive, just east of Grant Line Road.
Lingle continued to be uncooperative with the officers, but was eventually taken into custody, medically cleared at the hospital and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail for the following charges: 664/187 PC (attempted homicide), 2800 CVC (willfully failing to comply with lawful police orders) and 148 PC (willfully resisting, delaying or obstructing a police officer).
The injured Tracy Code Enforcement Officer was transported to a local hospital and fortunately, is expected to make a full recovery.
“Our sworn and professional staff show up every day ready serve this amazing community, at times putting themselves in harm’s way in the line of duty,” said Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington. “What occurred on Monday was nothing short of a heinous act of violence upon one of our professional staff that will not be tolerated. Our City family came together to protect one of our own from further harm and acted swiftly to identify and take the suspect into custody and for that I’m forever grateful.”
“Our thoughts are with our injured Code Enforcement Officer who is recovering from this frightening incident,” said Jenny Haruyama, City Manager. “We’re grateful to the Community Preservation team and the Tracy Police Department for responding so quickly to prevent further harm to life.” “
