PUBLIC SAFETY Police officers injured during suspect...

PUBLIC SAFETY

Police officers injured during suspect pursuit

A police pursuit that began Tuesday afternoon and involved a drug

suspect ended in Costa Mesa with two arrests, five injured Costa Mesa

police officers and several damaged vehicles.

Michelle White, a 37-year-old Anaheim resident was spotted in

Santa Ana trying to buy drugs, officials said. The man who was the

alleged dealer turned himself over to the police but White fled in

her black Lexus sport-utility vehicle.

She drove around in Costa Mesa for about 30 minutes, once stopping

in the City Hall parking lot. She continued driving for 10 minutes

after police blew out all four of her tires using spike strips. The

chase finally ended near the corner of Fair Drive and Newport

Boulevard when White’s SUV began to grind to a halt.

White then deliberately hit two police cars and backed up and hit

three motorcycles, felling the officers, police said. She then went

sideways and hit two other cars. None of the officers or civilians

were seriously injured.

White was arrested after two officers physically reached into the

car, pulled her arms away from the steering wheel and turned off the

ignition. Police said White was under the influence of drugs and was

seen smoking free-base cocaine even as she was attempting to get

away.

White has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon,

possession of paraphernalia and felony evading. She was being held in

Orange County jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.