A Redding man has been arrested after allegedly leading police on a pursuit in a stolen car.
Just before noon on Thursday, August 5, police responded to the area of Brookridge Drive and Stonethrow Court on a report of a stolen vehicle, arriving just in time to see the car leaving the neighborhood.
An officer followed the vehicle in their patrol car while waiting for backup units to respond. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, the driver fled and a pursuit began.
A CHP Northern Division aerial unit had also responded and was monitoring the suspect’s movements. At that point, units on the ground discontinued the pursuit out of concern for public safety.
The aerial unit continued to monitor the suspect as he entered a residential area and reportedly intentionally struck a bystander’s vehicle. Officers on the ground then re-engaged the pursuit. Despite officers having twice used a spike strip — once by Redding police and a second time by a Shasta County Sheriff’s sergeant — the suspect continued on.
Ultimately, police made the decision to intentionally ram the suspect vehicle, in order to immobilize it, in the driveway Redding Fire Station 6 at Beltline and Oasis.
When the driver — identified as 55-year-old Kevin Dunbar — tried to flee, officers reportedly used beanbag rounds to prevent him from escaping. Following medical clearance, Dunbar was taken into custody on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, auto theft, felony pursuit, grand theft, resisting arrest, and driving under the influence.
