A convicted felon accused of hitting a Banning patrolman during a traffic stop and then fleeing with a loaded semiautomatic rifle in his car, triggering a 20-minute chase, was charged Wednesday with assault on a peace officer and other offenses.
Damar Peter Smith, 29, of Banning was arrested Saturday, along with his girlfriend, 30-year-old Michelle Jimenez of Beaumont, after the pursuit that ended on the southwest edge of Banning.
Along with the assault count, Smith is charged with felony evading, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possession of an assault weapon, possession of controlled substances for sale and battery on a public safety official.
Jimenez is charged with possession of a controlled substance.
Both are being held at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning — Smith without bail, and Jimenez in lieu of $50,000 bail. They’re slated to make a joint initial court appearance Thursday at the Banning Justice Center.
According to a Banning Police Department statement, a patrolman spotted Smith and Jimenez in the 800 block of East Ramsey Street, near Hargrave Street, about 7 a.m. Saturday and ran a records check on their vehicle, which indicated it was displaying a stolen license plate.
The officer signaled Smith to pull over, and he complied.
“As the officer made contact with the driver outside of the vehicle, the driver resisted and assaulted the officer,” police allege. “The suspect driver was able to get back inside his vehicle and flee from the officer. The driver failed to stop for emergency lights and siren, and a vehicle pursuit was initiated.”
Beaumont police and California Highway Patrol officers, along with Riverside County sheriff’s deputies, joined the roughly 27-mile pursuit that ended at the intersection of Sunset and Westward avenues, where a CHP officer employed a “pursuit intervention technique,” or PIT, maneuver, pushing Smith’s vehicle off the road.
Smith and Jimenez were taken into custody without further incident. No one was injured.
Illegal narcotics, the rifle, a semiautomatic handgun and multiple knives were seized from the vehicle, authorities allege.
According to court records, Smith has prior convictions for felony evading, domestic violence and possession of controlled substances. No information was available regarding Jimenez.