People v. Edwards CA5

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Edwards was the passenger in a Plymouth Neon in Madera at 3:45 a.m. on December 28, 2008. Madera Police Officer John Palazzola saw the Neon leave a 7-11 store and followed it. He watched while it straddled lanes at a traffic light and exceeded the speed limit, among other things. When he tried to pull it over, it sped away, driving past a stop sign at 80 miles per hour. A chase from Madera to Fresno, covering more than 40 miles, ensued. Several law enforcement agencies were involved. Among the officers participating in the chase, driving four separate police cars, were Madera Police Officers Palazzola, Jason Green, Josh Chavez, and Juan Gaona. While these officers were following the Neon, the passenger pointed a handgun out the window and fired it repeatedly at the police cars. Palazzola saw at least seven muzzle flashes and heard five shots. Chavez saw three muzzle flashes and heard three shots. The car chase ended when the Neon drove over a curb and crashed into a lamppost. The passenger and driver got out and ran, jumping over a wall to enter an apartment complex. Fresno Police Officer Jonathan Linzey caught up with the passenger, Edwards, inside…