A Susanville man was arrested on charges which include Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Resisting Arrest, Unauthorized Entry into an Emergency Area and evading the police after a Thursday morning incident which occurred in the closed fire zone near Janesville.
According to a report released Friday by the Susanville Office of the California Highway Patrol, officers were patrolling the area of Lakecrest Road in Janesville, which was under Mandatory Evacuation order due to the Dixie Fire when, shortly after 11:30, an officer encountered a man walking south of Blinkenstaff Road.
The man was identified by the CHP as 41-year old Susanville resident Willis Coit Dow.
Because the area was within the confines of the evacuation order Dow was given a warning and advised to leave the area.
“Shortly thereafter,” explains CHP Public Information Officer Bruce Thuelchassaigne, “Mr. Dow was observed by another CHP officer running northbound on Lakecrest Road. The officer ordered Mr. Dow to stop. Mr. Dow continued to run away from the officer and entered a pickup truck attached to a trailer, loaded with a bulldozer.”
According to the report the officer caught up with Dow as he sat in the driver’s seat of the pickup truck.
“The officer continued to order Mr. Dow to stop. Mr. Dow failed to comply with the officer’s orders and drove the pickup in the direction of the officer. The officer took evasive action in order to avoid being struck by the vehicle Mr. Dow was driving.”
At this point, according to Thuelchassaigne, additional officers arrived on scene and an enforcement stop was initiated. Dow brought the pickup to a stop and officers ordered him out of the vehicle and ordered him to assume a prone position on the ground.
“Mr. Dow complied. While Mr. Dow was on the ground, he began recording the officers with a cell phone. In order to effect an arrest, the officers ordered Mr. Dow to set the cell phone down and place his hands behind his back. Mr. Dow refused to comply with the officer’s orders. The officers used control holds and were able to place Mr. Dow in handcuffs.”
Dow was transported from the scene and booked in the Lassen County Jail for 245PC, 148(a)PC, 409.5PC and 2800.1VC. He was subsequently released on bail.
