Watch: Helicopter video shows wild CHP chase with wrong-way driver on Marin Co. freeway
Full video: CHP officers chase felony suspect driving wrong way through Marin County
San Rafael police shared video of officers chasing a suspect on the freeway throughout Marin County. The video, shot by Sonoma Sheriff's helicopter, shows the driver weaving through lanes while driving the wrong way on Highway 101 and I-580 in San Rafael.
MARIN COUNTY, Calif. - Authorities shared aerial video Wednesday showing officers chasing an assault suspect driving the wrong way on the freeway throughout Marin County.
The police pursuit took place on Monday and started in Rohnert Park near Sonoma State University.
Suspect wanted for assault, police say
The backstory:
According to San Rafael police, officers in Rohnert Park were chasing a man wanted by authorities for assault on an officer with a deadly weapon involving a vehicle. The alleged assault occurred on Saturday, police said.
On Monday, the suspect's car was spotted on an automated license plate reader on East Cotati Avenue, authorities said. When Rohnert Park officers tried to stop the suspect, later identified as Casey Joseph Beck, 36, of Antioch, he allegedly tried to ram his car into a police car.
RELATED: 18-year-old who disappeared on Halloween found dead near San Rafael beach
Police say the suspect then fled the area and began driving southbound on US-101. At that point, the CHP spotted the car and began pursuing the suspect through Marin County. Once he reached Lucus Valley Road near San Rafael, he started driving the wrong way on the freeway, authorities said.
While driving the wrong way, a Sonoma Sheriff's helicopter began tracking the driver from the air and the highway patrol stopped their pursuit.
While the driver continued speeding in the wrong direction, San Rafael police and the CHP halted northbound traffic on US-101 and at the I-580 interchange.
The arrest
Dig deeper:
A San Rafael police officer was later able to use their car to "pin" the suspect's car along a concrete freeway wall before he approached nearby stopped drivers. The suspect's car then collided with the officer's car and another stopped car on the freeway.
Police arrested Beck after a brief standoff, authorities said. Before being booked into jail, he was treated for a minor leg injury, police said. No one else was injured in the police chase.
In the four-minute helicopter video shared Wednesday, the suspect is seen weaving through lanes and avoiding cars while driving the wrong way on the freeway. Later in the video, he's seen driving on the freeway shoulder.
At one point, police say the suspect was driving toward a car witnessing the chase. An officer was able to "intervene," police say, saving the other driver's life, San Rafael police said.
"Witnesses and onlookers credited CHP and SRPD Officers with saving lives from this dangerous suspect," San Rafael police said in a social media post. "We are also grateful to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s "Henry-1" crew for their work in tracking and coordinating the apprehension of the suspect by air. The teamwork, bravery, and professionalism of the law enforcement officers involved are to be commended for their handling of this incident."