On Saturday night at about 10:00 PM a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted a black Ford Crown Victoria in the area of Moorland Ave and Eddy Drive in southwest Santa Rosa. The deputy checked the car’s registration and found that it was registered to Gary Lee Helms II, a 44-year-old Santa Rosa probationer with a felony warrant for violating the conditions of his release.
The deputy observed the driver was in fact Helms and attempted to make a traffic stop to take him into custody. Helms made a u-turn in the Berry’s Market parking lot and continued driving northbound on Moorland. Helms briefly stopped his car several times on Moorland between Todd Rd and Cranbrook Wy in what appeared to be a moment of compliance but he kept driving away northbound at slow speeds.
When he stopped at Moorland and Cranbrook the deputy attempted to negotiate Helms’ surrender while other deputies approached his car and were able to place a spike strip under his tires. Helms again decided to drive away but he drove over the spike strip which successfully punctured two of his rear tires.
Helms continued for about 25 yards and came to another stop. At this time a deputy was able to use a less lethal foam tip launcher to break out the driver’s side window in an attempt to take Helms into custody. Helms again drove away but deputies then used their patrol cars to box him in and bring him to a stop near Eddy Drive.
Helms then decided to comply and was taken into custody without further incident. Helms was booked into the Sonoma County Jail and charged with misdemeanor evading and misdemeanor resisting arrest coupled with his felony arrest warrant. He remains in custody without bail due to his warrant.
