A 58-year-old Tustin man pleaded guilty Tuesday and was immediately sentenced to time served in jail awaiting trial for threatening Tustin police officers with a road flare and a mini propane tank before leading them on a chase and barricading himself in his car.
Charles Bradley pleaded guilty to three felony counts of assault with a weapon on a peace officer, three counts of resisting arrest, leading police on a chase, all felonies, and misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of a drug, resisting arrest and driving on a suspended license.
Bradley was sentenced to five years in prison and given credit for 1,934 days in jail so he will be released from custody.
A police officer testified at Bradley’s preliminary hearing that about 9 a.m. July 20, 2021, he noticed significant damage to the car the defendant was in at a Marshalls store parking lot at 17261 17th St. so he asked Bradley what happened.
Bradley said he had an accident in Los Angeles, but the officer didn’t believe he could drive with that kind of damage to the vehicle’s tire from Los Angeles to Tustin so he pressed Bradley for the truth.
At some point with Bradley refusing to get out of the car he took a road flare and held it up to a mini propane tank if the officer and others who arrived as backup did not go away, the officer testified.
The officers, fearing the propane would explode, backed up and got cover, and Bradley drove away, triggering the pursuit, police said.
When the pursuit ended at Yorba Street just north of Santa Clara Avenue Bradley refused to get out for hours, prompting officers to smash the window open and take him into custody.