On Sunday May 5th, 2013 at about 9:26 pm, the Ukiah Police Department was called by residents in the area of N. Spring Street. The residents reported seeing a man, wearing a jogging suit, walking up and down the street with a pistol in his hand and pointing the pistol down the street towards Pomolita School, shouting obscenities.
As officers from the department responded to the scene, the male suspect was seen getting into a red Toyota pickup and driving away. Officers located the pickup at the intersection N. Dora and Grove Street and attempted to stop the vehicle.
The vehicle would not stop, and began traveling through the west side streets of Ukiah at between 30 and 40 MPH, while 2 Ukiah PD officers tried to stop the vehicle displaying their emergency vehicle’s lights and sounding the siren.
The vehicle pursuit continued through Ukiah, to S. State Street, and then Boonville Road, at speeds up to 70 MPH.
The vehicle then turned on to a dirt road near the Boonville Road and Shepard Lane intersection. There, the officers used their patrol cars to block and stop the vehicle from evading further.
The driver of the vehicle exited the vehicle, and struggled briefly with the officers before the officers were able to place the driver into custody.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Matthew Aaron Hamburg – age 36, of Ukiah, and was arrested for 2800.2 (a) CVC – a Felony, and booked at the County Jail. At the time of the arrest, officers were unable to locate a weapon in Hamburg’s possession or within the vehicle.
Hamburg told the officers that he knew the officers were trying to stop him, but he didn’t stop because he didn’t think he had done anything wrong - so he didn’t pull over.
The California Vehicle Code requires that drivers yield to a displayed red light and siren of a police vehicle. Failure to yield to a police vehicle is both dangerous, and puts our community at great risk.
Anyone who observed, or has information about this investigation is asked to contact the Ukiah Police Department Detective Bureau at (707) 463-6262. Further information about this incident can be obtained from Ukiah Police ChiefChris Deweyat (707) 463-6262.
By: Chief of Police – Chris Dewey