Santa Maria man arrested for road rage that escalated into an attack on police – edhat

On Saturday, August 24, 2024, officers with the Santa Maria Police Department assisted the California Highway Patrol (CHP) with a reported incident of road rage that they were investigating. Officers encountered the suspect in the 200 block of East Orchard.

The suspect refused to comply with commands and used his vehicle in a threatening manner, driving toward officers and other bystanders. The CHP requested assistance from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, which also responded.

While numerous officers attempted to get him to surrender, the suspect armed himself with a metal object and began smashing the windows of an unoccupied CHP vehicle, causing over $2,000 in damage. The Santa Maria Police Department's Armored Rescue Vehicle (ARV) was deployed to immobilize the suspect's vehicle so he could not ram into and drive toward patrol cars and to ensure the safety of the officers and suspect.

Officers attempted to speak with the suspect to de-escalate the situation, but he remained unresponsive and resisted. In another attempt to bring about a resolution, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) responded and attempted to negotiate with the suspect. He was unresponsive and repeatedly rammed his vehicle into the ARV. The Santa Maria Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team responded.

Eventually, the suspect exited his vehicle and threatened officers with a long blunt metal object he was holding. The suspect was shot with sponge bullets in an attempt to get him to drop the weapon and comply.

The suspect continued to approach the officers in a threatening manner, so a police dog was deployed. The suspect resisted the dog, but this allowed the officers to approach him safely and arrest him. None of the officers were injured, and the suspect only suffered minor injuries.

The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Emilio Borrayo Chavez of Santa Maria. He was arrested and faces charges of vandalism, resisting police and assault with a deadly weapon.

The standoff with Chavez lasted over five hours and resulted in several residents being forced to evacuate their homes. The Santa Maria Police Department remains committed to public safety and utilizes sound tactics and resources to resolve these types of critical incidents, with safety being the top priority for all involved.