Santa Barbara police arrest Ventura man after dangerous chase, domestic abuse incident

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A Ventura man was arrested in Santa Barbara on Wednesday after he allegedly threatened officers with a knife during a chase.

Police said they responded to a report of a battery with great bodily injury on the 200 block of East Gutierrez Street around 4:45 p.m. that evening.

The victim told dispatchers a man had strangled and battered her and was currently in possession of a knife.

The man reportedly fled the area before police arrived.

Officers said they discovered the man suspected in this incident already had two active felony no-bail warrants out of Ventura County and that he was on felony post-release community supervision through the CA Department of Corrections at the time.

As police searched the area conducting their investigation, the man, identified as a 22-year-old Ventura resident, reportedly returned to the scene but fled on foot when he saw the officers and police gave chase.

At one point during the chase, they said the man pulled a folding knife out of his pocked and brandished it over his head before charging toward the officers.

An officer said he unholstered his duty firearm while giving the man verbal orders and the man backed off but continued to flee.

Police said they chased him to the 300 block of East Cota Street where they were able to corral him. However, the man turned toward officers and pulled out his knife again.

An officer then used his taser on the man which successfully subdued him without using lethal force.

Police said, during his arrest, the man kept trying to bite, kick and break free from the officers. They said it appeared he was under the influence of a controlled substance at the time.

Once the man was arrested, he was transported to Cottage Hospital per Santa Barbara Police taser use policy and was medically cleared. He was then booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail for domestic battery, assault causing great bodily injury, resisting an officer with violence and brandishing a knife. He is being held without bail.

Police said the victim in this incident was offered services from Domestic Violence Solutions and treated at the scene for her injuries.