SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A 24-year-old man is behind bars after allegedly driving a vehicle straight through a crowded Dolores Park, sparking a reckless driving complaint and a multi-neighborhood police pursuit across San Francisco.
Chaos at Dolores Park
The incident began Saturday evening around 8:00 p.m. when a witness entered the SFPD Mission Station to report a disturbing event. Earlier that day, a vehicle was seen tearing across the grassy lawns inside Dolores Park while visitors were present, before speeding away from the scene.
High-Speed Pursuit Across City Streets
By Monday afternoon, police spotted the suspect vehicle again. At approximately 3:40 p.m., Tenderloin Station officers observed the car speeding southbound on Van Ness Avenue near McAllister Street.
When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver refused to pull over, driving with what police described as a “willful and wanton disregard for public safety.” After briefly evading officers, the vehicle was spotted parked at Turk and Larkin streets.
The suspect once again ignored commands and took off, initiating a rolling pursuit that finally ended when the vehicle stopped at Post and Webster streets.
Suspect Jailed on Multiple Charges
The driver, identified as Justice Ray, exited the vehicle and was taken into custody without further incident. Ray was booked into the San Francisco County Jail on several charges, including:
- Reckless driving
- Resisting arrest
- Illegally driving in a bus-only lane
- Driving without a valid license
Community Reaction
The arrest triggered a wave of relief and reaction online, with local Reddit users praising the department’s persistence. One resident noted, “I would like to apologize to the SFPD by claiming that they would do nothing about the car who drove through Mission Dolores park. The SFPD did in fact arrest that driver.”
