I caught this chase on my police scanner. The Napa County Deputy Sheriff was chasing this guy who had outstanding warrants and wasn't stopping for several miles. He finally headed towards where I was and I got my camera ready. He decided to pull over right in front of me, maybe 60 yards away. I shot a whole series from the blue-light chase to this scene up through pulling him out of the car and finally being taken down with the assistance of Napa Police who arrived. My adrenaline was extreme, as I'm sure, were the officers and the suspect.
31 responses
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Jan Hoffman gave props (13 Jan 2008):
Is this how they give out speeding tickets in Napa V.?
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Laura Boston-Thek gave props (13 Jan 2008):
Yeah....that's never a good thing.
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Fred Moskey gave props (13 Jan 2008):
Just doing his job and with some luck he will get to go home tonight!
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Matt Granz said (14 Jan 2008):
Whoa!
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Liza Carlson said (30 Jan 2008):
wow!!! seems excessive....
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!Mel! Gibbs said (16 Feb 2008):
"i said chocolate not strawberry coated donuts!"
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Amoreena Lucero said (16 Feb 2008):
My reaction was the same at Matt's....Whoa.
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Albert Chester Jr said (26 Feb 2008):
All the emotions engulfed in this image gives it a personality of its own, well done.
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Howard Simpson gave props (29 Feb 2008):
Great Catch...Title it "Felony Stop" :-)
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Richard Bruns said (29 Feb 2008):
Howard - It IS titled Felony Stop. It somehow didn't get into my title bar, but I change that now. thanks.
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Paul Lavallee gave props (23 Mar 2008):
what a captured moment!
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Joshua Blankman gave props (31 Mar 2008):
Wow.... I can feel my heart pumping just looking at that image. It's moments like this that make you thankful you always carry a camera. This is photojournalism at its finest.
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Jay El said (31 Mar 2008):
Well said! And _premeditated_ photoournalism, indeed. A Winner!!!
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Nancy Charter Kechnie Goatbe said (7 Apr 2008):
How exciteing is that! wow.. felt like I was along for the adventure.. good write up..and really original to say the least..Very dramatic...
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Dexmon Pineda said (24 Apr 2008):
whoa? what happened here?..
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M.S. White said (12 May 2008):
Wow this is one heck of a shot. You can really feel the tension in this.
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Loree McComb gave props (13 Jan 2009):
Whoohoo, one down - a few million to go - great capture
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Cricket Vail gave props (25 Jan 2009):
the gun , of course is such a force in this photo as well as the stance of the officer. I love it !
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Loree McComb gave props (31 Jan 2009):
Back with this picture - really a fabulous capture
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Ricky Shelton gave props (5 Feb 2009):
oh wow. he sure is on top of things huh?
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Kathleen Battan gave props (8 Feb 2009):
Outstanding. Very dramatic! Notice the finger NOT on the trigger. That's keeping cool under pressure.
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Tamara N gave props (18 Feb 2009):
If he knew that you were taking a photo, your camera would be confiscated. The problem to give so much power to humans. Great reaction with the photo.
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Richard Bruns said (18 Feb 2009):
Actually, that's not quite true. The police and Sheriffs of Napa and Napa County are generally very cooperative with journalists. This is one of a series of about 35 photos detailing the entire arrest sequence involving additional deputies and Napa Police. I have shown it to a number of them and they have nothing but praise. The deputy did everything by the book and the sequence demonstrates it quite well. As a witness I can say that the subject was seriously resisting and is lucky he didn't get pepper-sprayed or tazed ... the officers all showed admirable if determined restraint.
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Aaron Sholl gave props (18 Feb 2009):
love this shot - good work
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Julie Bowden gave props (29 Mar 2009):
thats awesome haha
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jonathan wolf gave props (12 Jun 2009):
wowwy.
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David Baker gave props (15 Jul 2009):
WOW!!!!! SICK shot..............
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paradiseranche said (12 Aug 2009):
seriously resisting and is lucky he didn't get pepper-sprayed or tazed ??????
so put a real gun in his face:-S -
Richard Bruns said (23 Aug 2009):
Mark, Thanks for hour comment.
Yep! Damn lucky. He didn't get hurt. The officer didn't get hurt. He went to jail as he should, with a few extra charges including felony evading and felony resisting to the felony charge(s) he was fleeing from. It ultimately took four cops to cuff him and haul him away. No shots fired. No peppers spray. No tazing. The deputy here was magnificent. And as I'm a "veteran" journalist watching the Berkeley People's Park police riots where a friend was shot; and the 1968 Presidential election where I was arrested in San Francisco while delivering books to a post office for shipping during that police riot, and others, I have some significant experience in witnessing and feeling when officers are NOT patient and do not show restrain t, and whose victims were not so lucky. At the end, the arrestee was chatting amicably with the pictured deputy as he was led to the patrol car for transport to the Napa jail.
So yes, this young man was very lucky.
How to they do it where you live? -
aviana gave props (28 Aug 2009):
The right place and the right moment for the photographer, but not for the suspect. Faved.
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Darla Smedley gave props (30 Aug 2009):
me too..WHOA!
