A convicted felon who was released from custody after having two convictions reduced to misdemeanors under Proposition 47 was charged Monday with firing shots at police officers during a vehicle chase in Santa Ana.
Jimmy Hoang Truong, 28, of Santa Ana was driving a car near Euclid and McFadden streets about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday when officers tried to stop his vehicle, Roxi Fyad of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said.
Truong is accused of refusing to pull over and instead leading officers on a two-hour chase, firing shots at pursuing police as he drove in and around the Santa Ana, Fyad said.
The officers were not struck and did not return fire, according to Fyad.
The chase ended about 11:30 p.m. Saturday when Truong’s car was disabled by spike strips and surrounded by police vehicles.
Still, Truong refused to get out and held officers, including SWAT and hostage negotiation teams, at bay for more than three hours, Fyad said.
Truong finally surrendered about 2:40 a.m. Sunday and was arrested, according to Fyad.
Truong had been convicted of felony drug possession charges in 2012 and again in 2013, but last December both convictions were reduced to misdemeanors under Proposition 47, which aims to divert non-violent offenders from incarceration.
Truong was not placed on parole, probation or post-release community supervision and in April was arrested on suspicion of carrying a switchblade knife. Three days later, he was arrested again on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, Fyad said.
Truong was charged in May with a misdemeanor count for the switchblade and in June with misdemeanor counts of possession a controlled substance and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, Fyad said.
“An individual who the court determined should be held only accountable for misdemeanor crimes held the city of Santa Ana and nearby neighborhoods hostage for more than five hours,” said John Franks, president of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, the union represening San Ana Police Department officers.
“This is not the kind of person we want roaming our neighborhoods unsupervised. It’s only through tremendous police work and the grace of God that my police officers and everyone in the vicinity of this crime spree escaped unharmed.”
Tom Dominguez, president of the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, the union representing the Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies, called Proposition 47 “a failure.”
“Luckily, no one was hurt in this incident, but with Prop. 47 flooding our communities with dangerous felons released with little or no consequences for the crimes they commit, we might not be so lucky next time.”
— City News Service