Police: Driver trying to avoid Santa Rosa checkpoint nearly hits officers

A Healdsburg resident entering a Santa Rosa police DUI checkpoint early Sunday quickly reversed course, drove the wrong way down College Avenue and almost hit motorcycle officers attempting to stop him, according to Santa Rosa police.

Officers pulled the man over a few blocks away, and when the suspected drunken driver resisted arrest they hit him with an electric barb, Sgt. Ryan Corcoran said in a news release.

The driver, Filberto Torres Lopez, 22, was one of three arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after being stopped in connection with the checkpoint on College Avenue at Morgan Street.

Another 22 drivers were arrested on suspicion of failing to have a license or a valid license and were cited to appear in court.

Four drivers with miscellaneous vehicle code violations also were cited.

The checkpoint ran from 8 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday and included 672 drivers who were screened for signs of inability to drive safely.

Lopez came into the checkpoint at about 1:40 a.m.

He was headed west on College Avenue and entered the cone area and was approaching awaiting officers when he put his car into reverse and began backing away. Lopez then turned around and drove east in the westbound lane and didn’t stop for officers who pursued him, Corcoran said.

The officers had to swerve to miss being hit by the driver, the sergeant said.

With several officers in pursuit, the driver pulled over on Lincoln Street near Healdsburg Avenue. Officers arrested him on suspicion of driving while drunk, felony assault with a deadly weapon on an officer and resisting arrest.