Officer, suspect crash in Rohnert Park

A Rohnert Park police officer and a fleeing suspect crashed head-on Friday afternoon in a narrow lane at a mobile home park.

The officer was on the way to help another officer investigating a report of a suicidal man at one of the units when a man at the home in question fled, jumping into a Cadillac and speeding away, according to Rohnert Park police. They crashed in the 100 block of Madrigal Street around 2:37 p.m., causing minor injuries to the officer and major ones to the suspect, Sgt. Brandon Davidge said. Both parties were taken to the hospital, but the officer, Lucas Dotta, later was released.

The officers were responding to a report about a man yelling that his gun was missing and that he was going to kill someone, then making suicidal statements, Davidge said.

The first officer had just arrived and begun calling out to the man, whom police and family identified as Brian Guillory, 50, of Rohnert Park, when Guillory ran out the opposite side of his house and into his car, Davidge said.

The speed limit posted on the private road is 15 mph, but witnesses estimated the Cadillac was traveling around 50 mph at the time of the crash, Davidge said.

Police are investigating whether Guillory aimed for the officer’s car.

“Preliminarily, it looks like he turned into the patrol car, made a sharp left into the officer,” Davidge said. They also believe Guillory was drinking and are considering assault with a deadly weapon charges as well as felony DUI charges, he said.

Davidge did not know the officer’s speed at the time of the crash, but said a team would be investigating the speed and direction of both drivers as well as other circumstances.

Guillory’s brother, Michael Guillory of Oakland, stood by surveying the damage and shaking his head Friday afternoon.

He said Brian Guillory lived with his mother in the Rancho Feliz Mobile Home Park. He suffered from depression and had had a hard week, including a recent argument with his wife, Michael Guillory said. He said that he was stuck in traffic on his way from Oakland to check on his brother, after a neighbor called expressing concern, when the crash occurred. He had encouraged the neighbor to call police after hearing how distraught his brother was, he said.

Both cars had major front-end damage, with crumpled hoods and cracked windshields. Shattered glass lay in the roadway. Michael Guillory expressed relief the crash was not worse.

“I understand that the officer is OK; I understand that my brother will be OK,” he said. Then he pointed to the car and said, “That’s all metal, but that’s very bad.”

Davidge said Guillory was pinned against the dash of the Cadillac and had to be freed by emergency responders. Dotta suffered cuts and embedded glass in one of his hands and complained of pain, but was released from the hospital Friday evening.

“As a supervisor, when I roll up and see a teammate’s car crushed like that, my heart sinks,” Davidge said. “I’m just thankful he wasn’t injured any more than he was.”

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