People v. Zarate CA6

I. Background

Watsonville Police Officer Bradley Chagnon was on duty in a marked patrol car on July 16, 2012. He was en route to Watsonville Community Hospital at around 4:20 p.m. when he heard a be-on-the-lookout dispatch about a possible shooting from a vehicle in the area of Clifford Avenue and Pennsylvania Drive. The suspect vehicle was described as a red Honda. Chagnon continued driving and a few minutes later, a maroon Mitsubishi “came off of Nielson and pulled in front of me and was heading in my same direction.” The Mitsubishi made a right turn toward the hospital and Chagnon followed it. At the next stop sign, the car accelerated and “just sped through . . . .” Chagnon activated his lights and the Mitsubishi turned into the hospital parking lot and pulled over. “[A] male . . . about 15 years old, just bolts out of the right front . . . passenger door, and takes off running . . . .” Chagnon saw nothing in the juvenile’s hands. 2 Chagnon got out of his patrol car and approached the Mitsubishi, but it sped away. He pursued it. As both cars looped around, they caught up to the juvenile who had bolted from the car. Chagnon saw…