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CHP, 2nd car rammed in chase
By DARYL FARNSWORTH
BEE STAFF WRITER
Published: March 22, 2003
EMPIRE, CA -- A man led the California Highway Patrol on a chase Friday afternoon, his pickup ramming a patrol
car before he was arrested, the CHP said.
The CHP vehicle was knocked into a Chevrolet Tahoe with two women in it. No one was hurt, officers said.
The collision occurred about 3:40 p.m., at Highway 132 and Albers Road, officer Tom Killian said.
Just before the pickup rammed officer Pete Fennell's car, the driver went on the right shoulder and passed several
vehicles while they were stopped at a sign, Killian said.
After ramming the CHP car, the pickup sped west on Highway 132 toward Empire, he said.
When the pickup tried to turn right onto Bent Road, Fennell "tapped him" with his car and pushed the pickup off the
road, Killian said.
The driver refused to get out, so Fennell doused him with pepper spray. The driver still refused to get out, so
Stanislaus County sheriff's deputy Bruce Mitchell used a Taser gun, Killian said.
Shawn Elliott Sample, 32, of Riverbank was arrested for investigation of
assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, evading a peace officer,
and possession of suspected methamphetamine, officers said.
While arresting Sample, officers saw another pickup drive by on the
shoulder. CHP officer Dan Balos chased that truck west on Highway 132
and caught up at Church Street, Killian said.
The driver hit his brakes as he turned onto Church, and two boys in the
truck, a 2- and a 3-year-old who weren't in restraint seats, cut their faces
after they were thrown forward, Killian said.
CHP officers arrest Shawn Sample after a chase Friday in qhich officers were forced to push his pickup, in the
background, off the road. ADRIAN MENDOZA/THE BEE
The boy's grandfather, Ernesto Rodriguez, 46, of Empire, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and
child endangerment, he said.
As Ernesto Rodriguez was being arrested, his son, Samson Rodriguez, 18, of Modesto arrived and reportedly began
harassing officers, Killian said.
Samson Rodriguez was arrested for public drunkeness and interfering with a peace officer, Killian said.
Sample and the Rodriguezes were booked in county jail, Killian said.