Santa Barbara man arrested after ramming police car with stolen vehicle

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A man was arrested near the Rose Garden Inn in Santa Barbara after intentionally crashing his vehicle into a police car Thursday night.

Officers patrolling the area around 9:45 p.m. said they spotted a vehicle that was believed to be stolen out of the City of Santa Barbara.

Upon approaching the car, they found a man lying in the front seat. Police recognized the man as being wanted on multiple no-bail warrants for previous crimes.

As soon as police tried to contact the man, he reportedly put the stolen vehicle into reverse and rammed into the police car behind him, causing major damage and shattering windows. One other nearby vehicle was also damaged during the crash.

Fortunately, no officers were injured.

Police said the man then tried to drive forward into a cement planter in an effort to flee the scene, however, his vehicle stalled and officers used a taser to disable the man and prevent him from hurting anyone or causing further damage.

The man was immediately arrested and transported to County Jail after being checked for injuries by medics.

Police said the man has a long standing history of being arrested in the Santa Barbara area.

It is unclear why the man was in the Rose Garden Inn parking lot at this time.