A man accused of driving recklessly led San Diego police on an erratic pursuit through the city before the chase spilled onto a popular beach Sunday morning. Beachgoers watched as officers took the suspect into custody on the sand.
The pursuit began shortly before 7:30 a.m. when the San Diego Police Department received multiple calls about a driver exhibiting dangerous behavior in the Pacific Beach neighborhood. Witnesses reported a man driving a tan or gold Nissan Frontier performing donuts in parking lots, narrowly avoiding other vehicles, and possibly striking curbs and a retaining wall.
Officers located the truck heading west toward the ocean. An attempted traffic stop led to the driver fleeing, initiating a pursuit. Police eventually terminated this chase due to the driver's "increasing wanton disregard to public safety."
Police later located the truck again, but the driver allegedly failed to yield a second time, leading to another pursuit that officers also terminated. At this point, the Nissan was considered a vehicle in connection with felony evading, and officers increased their efforts to locate it.
Officers eventually spotted the truck again, driving slowly. They waited for the department's Airborne Law Enforcement (ABLE) helicopter to arrive and track the vehicle. The helicopter followed the Nissan as it drove onto the beach and proceeded toward the water.
Video from the scene captured startled beachgoers witnessing officers converge on the pickup truck on the sand. The driver, identified by police as 25-year-old Griffin Charles Foy, was seen outside the truck with his hands raised as officers detained him. A police K-9 was present but not deployed during the arrest.
Police conducted a high-risk vehicle stop, citing the alleged violations and Foy's disregard for public safety. Foy was taken into custody without further incident.
He was booked into San Diego Central Jail on charges including felony evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, obstructing or resisting a peace officer, and driving under the influence of drugs. No injuries were reported during the pursuit.