Hospital patient crashes into police vehicle, bystander in allegedly stolen patrol cruiser
San Jose police car.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A man, who is a patient at a San Jose hospital, was arrested Monday after an alleged altercation with hospital security, where he also stole a police patrol vehicle and caused two separate crashes, police say.
It all began at around 2:30 p.m. at Regional Medical Center. A San Jose Police Department spokesperson said after the man fought with security, he fled the hospital on foot, when police officers began to chase him.
Police spotted the man near El Rancho Verde and McKee Road. The brief foot pursuit ended when police said the man entered a running police patrol vehicle. He first collided the vehicle into a bystander, causing minor injuries to the person.
Then a second collision happened when the suspect fled in the stolen vehicle, hitting another approaching police vehicle head on. Two officers suffered minor injuries as a result, police said.
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The suspect is said to have mental health issues, according to police. He was taken to a local hospital for injuries he sustained during his arrest. Police were not specific about those injuries or the man's condition. A witness said he saw the suspect tased by police. It is not clear why the man was hospitalized in the first place or why he was involved in an altercation with security.
The suspect is facing several felony charges, including causing an injury in the collisions, stealing the patrol car, and resisting arrest, police said.