Video shows cops exchanging gunfire with five teens ‘who robbed hotel guest with AR-15
Freemont CA March 4 2021
Police in California have released dramatic footage showing teenage robbery suspects, including a 14-year-old boy, leading officers on a chase in a stolen car and exchanging gunfire with them.
The chase was sparked after the five teens allegedly forced their way into a motel room armed with an arsenal of weapons including an AR-15 pistol and robbed a guest there at gunpoint.
The home invasion and officer-involved shooting took place in Fremont in the San Francisco Bay Area on February 9.
The 17-year-old male suspect from Hayward was charged in juvenile court with attempted murder and assault with a firearm of two police officers, first-degree residential robbery and personal use of a firearm in commission of felonies.
Two of the suspects, ages 15 and 16, both from East Palo Alto, were charged with home invasion robbery and personal use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
The 14-year-old boy, also from East Palo Alto, is facing counts of home invasion robbery and felony evading, while the 16-year-old girl, from Hayward, is being held on charges of home invasion and possession of stolen property.
According to a detailed video statement from Fremont Police Chief Kimberley Petersen, the incident began unfolding at around 4.45pm on February 9 in the area of Cushing and Auto Mall Parkway, when officer Andrew Dennis saw a grey 2003 BMW speeding from the parking lot of a shopping center.
Dennis and additional patrol units pursued the BMW along Stevenson Boulevard until it reached a dead end.
At that point, four suspects jumped out of the car and ran into an open field.
Dennis and officer Jeffrey Carter followed the fleeing teens into the field on foot. As the pair rounded a fenced corner, one of the suspects allegedly turned to face the officers with a firearm drawn and fired ‘multiple’ rounds at them.
Dennis and Carter returned fire and then ran for cover.
More police converged on the area to hunt for the suspects, one of whom, the 16-year-old boy, surrendered immediately.
The 17-year-old boy turned himself in to the police at the scene about 20 minutes later.
After an intense three-hour search involving multiple SWAT teams, K-9 units, armored vehicles, planes and drones, police tracked down and apprehended the 14-year-old boy.
A fourth suspect, aged 15, continued to hide and refused to comply with multiple commands to surrender, Chief Petersen said. A K-9 dog was sent in to apprehend the teen, but he allegedly continued to resist and tried to run away.
Officers then shot him with a 40mm less lethal foam projectile, which allowed them to arrest him.
The victim was forced into this bathroom at gunpoint, after which the suspects stole his phone and keys to his Chevy Cruze
He was treated for dog bites at a hospital and booked into a juvenile detention facility that same evening.
Police recovered at the scene an AR-15 pistol, a Glock handgun and a .22 caliber Mossberg 715P rifle.
‘We are shocked to be dealing with violent individuals of such a young age who are armed in this way and willing to shoot at police,’ Petersen said.
While the search for the suspects was still in progress, detectives from the Fremont Police Department learned that the group of teens had allegedly committed a robbery at Good Night Inn hotel just minutes before being spotted by officer Dennis fleeing the scene in the stolen BMW.
According to the police chief, the victim of the robbery told detectives that he had been in his room with a female companion when three intruders barged in and robbed him at gunpoint.
The suspects forced the hotel guest into the bathroom and ordered him to stay there.
After the intruders had fled and the victim emerged from the bathroom, he found that his cellphone and his 2005 Chevy Cruze had been stolen. His companion was gone, too.
The following day, police pulled over the victim’s stolen Chevy in Fremont and found inside the 16-year-old female suspect, who they say was ‘present and directly involved with the home invasion robbery.’
The victim’s stolen cellphone was found inside the car.
