Fallbrook man accused of leading 50-mile police pursuit in San Diego, firing at officers

A Fallbrook man ran a traffic break on a San Diego freeway, starting a pursuit and firing at California Highway Patrol officers along the way before his vehicle was eventually stopped by spike strips.

It all began just before 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, when CHP officers responded to a call about a pedestrian on eastbound Interstate 8 just before state Route 163 in Mission Valley, according to CHP San Diego representative Salvador Castro.

While a CHP officer was trying to stop traffic in the area, a Toyota 4Runner blew by “at a high rate of speed,” Castro said.

The officer running the traffic break began to pursue the 4Runner, which was later determined to be driven by Alec Zachary Bennett, 26, of Fallbrook, according to Castro.

Bennett allegedly discharged a firearm at pursuing CHP units several times during the chase. At least one of the CHP officers returned fire but did not strike Bennett, Castro said.

The chase continued for nearly 50 miles on Interstate 8 until Immigration and Custom Enforcement and Border Patrol officers were able to successfully incapacitate Bennett’s tires with a spike strip near Buckman Springs Road in Campo, Castro said.

Bennett’s car slowed to a stop, and he allegedly bailed out and run to a nearby Caltrans maintenance yard, where officers found and tried to subdue him first with a stun gun device and later with a police dog.

“The officers attempted to take Bennett into custody at which point Bennett began to struggle with the officers,” Castro said. “San Diego County sheriff’s deputies arrived on scene and deployed their K-9, which assisted CHP officers to take Bennett into custody.”

Bennett was taken to Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa for treatment of unspecified injuries, and was booked into San Diego Central Jail.

Will Fritz can be reached by email at [email protected].