A San Francisco man was arrested in Novato after he allegedly rammed a police vehicle with a stolen car.
The incident happened at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday after police received a report of a stolen car parked at the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center. The driver was in the car when Novato police approached.
The driver quickly backed out of the parking space, hit a parked car and accelerated toward a police vehicle, the Novato Police Department said. He struck that police vehicle and drove toward the open door of another, forcing an officer to jump inside to avoid being hit.
Officers chased the car but discontinued the pursuit as a safety precaution, the police department said. But they caught the driver a short time later after a caller reported a car with major damage in the area of South Novato Boulevard and Rowland Boulevard.
Jovanni Holland Guerry, 44, was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle, assaulting police, reckless evasion, giving a false name to police, hit-and-run driving, drug possession, violating his probation terms and other offenses. The police department said he had stolen property in the car.
Guerry remained in custody on Sunday. He is also being held on four outstanding warrants involving allegations of vehicle theft, reckless driving and other crimes.