On January 23, 2025, in Del Norte County, California, Highway Patrol officers pursued a stolen Honda after it evaded an officer's attempt to stop it on Elk Valley, where it was speeding at 65 mph. The officer later located the Honda in the driveway of a mobile home in the Kings Valley Mobile Estates Mobile Home Park on Kings Valley Road. When the driver seen the CHP vehicle he reversed out of the driveway and speed off down Kings Valley Road towards Highway 101. The suspect continued northbound on Highway 101, crossing into Oregon, where a Brookings, Oregon, police officer deployed a spike strip, deflating one of the rear tires. The driver was identified as Merle Southard, then headed south on Highway 101, re-entering California. The pursuit ended just south of the Gilbert Creek Bridge when a Highway Patrol officer performed a PIT maneuver, successfully bringing the car to a stop. Southard was taken into custody without further incident and booked into the Del Norte County Jail on multiple charges. Merle Southard was in Possession of a white crystalline substance in rock form suspected to be methamphetamine Item weight - 3.5 grams, Packaged weight - 20.4 grams. Merle Southard had two active warrants for his arrest: Ramey warrant for 664/187 PC Attempted murder, 211 PC Robbery - Bail $300,000 Bench warrant for 484 (A) PC - Petty Theft - Bail $5,000 496(D) - Receive/Etc. Known Stolen Property Over $200. 10851(A) - Take Vehicle W/O Owner's Consent. 2800.2(A) - Evasion - Wanton Disregard for Safety. 2800.4(A) - Evading while willfully driving the wrong way. 10851(A) VC - Driving a stolen vehicle. 23152(F) VC - Driving under the influence of a drug. 11377(A) HS - Possession of methamphetamine. 11364(A) HS - Possession of drug paraphernalia. 636.5 PC - Possession of a police scanner while committing another crime. 12500(A) VC - Driving without a license. 18 USC 1073 - Flight to avoid prosecution across a state line. CHP officers involved: Officer T. Scott ID 022238 - Investigating officer. Officer D. Ward ID 21221 - Secondary unit, Scene assistance. Sergeant P. Price ID 20491 - Scene supervisor. Brookings Police Department Officer C. Kimball ID 63858 - Spike Strip Deployment. #police #pursuit #cops #chp #policechase #delnorte #chase #oregon #dashcam #policechase

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