Crime & Safety
Livermore Police Officer Attacked During Traffic Stop: Police
A driver backed into the motorcycle of a Livermore police officer after he pulled the car over for a traffic violation, police said.
LIVERMORE, CA — The Livermore Police Department is searching for a driver who accelerated toward an officer during a traffic stop, disabled the officer's motorcycle, and led law enforcement on a pursuit, police said.
The officer sustained injuries in the incident but has since been treated and released.
If arrested, the driver would likely face charges of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and felony evasion of a police officer, said Officer Taylor Burruss, spokesperson for the Livermore Police Department.
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The officer jumped into a lane of traffic around 11:45 a.m. Friday to avoid being hit by the driver, who put their four-door, brown Toyota Tundra crew cab in reverse and accelerated toward the officer as he began to dismount his motorcycle, police announced.
“This act of violence against our officer is absolutely unacceptable," said Livermore Police Chief Jeramy Young in a statement. "Our officers put their lives on the line for our community and an attack on an officer is an attack on our community. We will work tirelessly to bring this offender to justice.”
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The driver and car remained outstanding as of Friday afternoon.
The officer was providing traffic enforcement on Isabel Avenue between Interstate Highway 580 and Portola Avenue due to the frequency of car crashes and complaints of dangerous driving, police said. He pulled over the Toyota Tundra for a vehicle code violation.
The driver initially yielded but reversed toward the officer so quickly that they left skidmarks on the road, police said. The driver then fled the scene and briefly led officers on a pursuit, which was canceled due to safety concerns for the public and officers involved, police said.
A description of the driver and the car's license plate number were not available for release as of Friday afternoon, Burruss said.
Anyone with information or video of the incident is asked to contact the Livermore police tipline at 925-371-4790 and reference case 21-2668. Callers may remain anonymous.
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