Sonoma Valley man leads Rohnert Park police on 6-mile pursuit

Rohnert Park police Friday arrested a man who fled officers during a traffic stop, nearly running over an officer’s foot as he drove away, officials said.

Michael Nimrod Sartin, 28, of El Verano was being held on suspicion of evading police with reckless driving and assault with a deadly weapon, both felonies, according to police and jail records.

Officers pulled the driver of a green Toyota Prius over at about 1:15 a.m. Friday after seeing the car blow through a stop sign on East Cotati Avenue near Lasalle Avenue, Sgt. Troy Moore said in a news release.

The driver, later identified as Sartin, initially pulled over but then rolled up the window as the officer spoke to him, and drove away, weaving across the road as he headed east, Moore said.

After a low-speed pursuit that lasted about 6.1 miles and 11 minutes, police deployed a spike strip at Adobe and Corona roads, disabling the right front tires of the Prius, Moore said.

Officers initiated a “high-risk stop,” which typically involves them surrounding the vehicle with guns drawn and ordering the suspect to exit.

Sartin was booked into Sonoma County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bail.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.