Costa Mesa plice use rubber bullets to end chase

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Refusing a man’s request to kill him, police instead

used what they call “less lethal” rubber bullets to end a chase Saturday

that started at a local fast-food restaurant and proceeded over three

freeways to San Onofre, police said.

Reynaldo Parra, 29, of Long Beach fled from the parking lot of Jack In

The Box on the corner of Del Mar Avenue and Newport Boulevard, where

witnesses reported he was upset and driving in circles, Sgt. Don Holford

said.

Parra drove a white Volkswagen Jetta north onto the Costa Mesa Freeway

and continued to the southbound San Diego Freeway, Holford said. The

California Highway Patrol took over the chase on Interstate 5 in Mission

Viejo, but Costa Mesa officers still followed.

After highway patrol officers used spike strips -- causing the car to

crash into the center median of the freeway -- Parra ran from the car

holding a butcher knife, screaming at the officers to kill him, Holford

said.

Instead, a Costa Mesa officer fired the less lethal rubber bullets,

aiming for the torso, Holford said. Parra was hit three times.

“It was good because we proved we didn’t have to kill him,” Holford

said.

Parra, an at-large parolee, was arrested on suspicion of evading

police, brandishing a deadly weapon and reckless driving. He was booked

at Costa Mesa Jail with no bail after being medically cleared from Hoag

Hospital with minor welts, Holford said.

No officers or bystanders were hurt during the chase.

-- Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .