High Speed Police Chase through Mountain View

A Birch Tree man faces eight felony charges after a police chase through Mountain View that ended in a car crash. Jason Freeman, 24, has been charged with three counts of armed criminal action, two counts of first degree assault, and one count each of first degree assault of a special victim, resisting arrest, and leaving the scene of an accident. 

According to a probable cause statement filed by Sergeant Michael Pauly of the Mountain View Police Department, he initiated a traffic stop with a vehicle with an expired registration on Wade Street on June 11. Despite Sgt. Pauly’s emergency lights, the driver continued on Wade Street to Pruett Street and pulled into a church parking lot. Instead of coming to a stop, however, the vehicle accelerated up a hill near the lot and turned south on Highway 17. Two male pedestrians in the parking lot had to jump out of the way to avoid the vehicle.

The chase continued on Highway 17 with speeds nearing 100 m.p.h. Near County Road 2900, a white Subaru driven by Jessie King, 70, of Pomona was driving in the same lane and direction of the chase. Freeman started to pass the Subaru, but slammed on his brakes and hit the vehicle. Freemen left the scene of the crash, driving 1,262 feet before the vehicle would not drive any further. 

Sgt. Pauly exited his patrol vehicle with his duty weapon drawn and arrested Freeman without further incident. He was transported to the hospital for treatment of his minor injuries. Freeman had 19 active warrants for his arrest and told Sgt. Pauly that he fled the traffic stop because “he didn’t want to go back to jail.”

The driver Freeman hit did not suffer any injuries, and the pedestrians he nearly struck were also unharmed. 

Freeman appeared with a public defender for a bond hearing on June 24 before the Honorable R. David Ray to request a reduction of his $100,000 bond. The judge denied the motion, and Freeman remains in custody as of press time. Freeman entered a plea of not guilty on June 17.