Sonoma County Man with Multiple Pending Cases Arrested Following High-Speed Pursuit
Above: Evidence collected during investigation | Healdsburg PD
Authorities in Sonoma County recently arrested an individual on a variety of weapon charges following a high-speed pursuit.
According to a press release by the Healdsburg Police Department, an officer observed a motorcycle driving without license plates, initiating a series of events in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 11. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the rider, later identified as 25-year-old Buck Christopher Knell Jr. from Santa Rosa, refused to pull over and fled southbound on Highway 101 at speeds ranging between 115 and 130 miles per hour.
With assistance of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and a CHP helicopter, law enforcement officers engaged in a pursuit of the suspect that continued all the way to Novato, where the rider stopped momentarily and allegedly discarded a firearm before continuing to flee southbound.
The pursuit then extended into the city of San Rafael, where the rider encountered a dead end and abandoned the motorcycle, from there fleeing on foot.
In light of the suspect’s behavior and the presence of a discarded loaded firearm, law enforcement called in a K9 unit from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office to apprehend the suspect safely. The K9 unit successfully apprehended Buck Christopher Knell Jr. Officers also discovered that the suspect was also in possession of a significant amount of methamphetamine.
Buck Christopher Knell Jr., a 25-year-old male from Santa Rosa, was identified as the suspect involved in the incident. Following medical clearance, Knell was taken into custody and booked into jail.
Knell reportedly has four pending criminal cases in Sonoma County, which include charges for allegedly fleeing from law enforcement, as well as the alleged possession of multiple firearms, including a machine gun and an AR15 style ghost gun.
It was unclear at press time whether Knell had retained an attorney. The investigation into the incident remains active and ongoing.
