A motorcyclist who was seriously injured when he crashed into a curb while allegedly leading Palm Springs police on a chase, then later sued the pursuing officer, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a felony charge of evading arrest.
According to an arrest warrant declaration, police received reports of a motorcycle being revved up and down Rosa Parks Road on Oct. 8, 2016, and gave chase after the rider sped off at around 80 mph.
The chase, which went through several residential areas, ended in the 300 block of Avenida Cerca, when Russell Manning collided with a curb and fell into a field, suffering major injuries that rendered him unconscious, according to the declaration. He was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs for treatment of major injuries.
Though police say the crash was the result of a pursuit, Manning, 29, of Thermal, has filed a lawsuit alleging that he was riding down Avenida Cerca when a Palm Springs officer crashed into him without displaying any emergency lights or sirens.
The suit named Palm Springs police Officer Matthew Olson, the city of Palm Springs, Riverside County and the Palm Springs Police Department. The county and police department have since been dismissed as defendants, but the case remains open against Olson and the city.
Manning is due back in court June 8 for a felony settlement conference in the criminal case.