Police name officer who fired on vehicle after suspect allegedly rammed patrol car

La Mesa police cruiser Photo by Chris Stone Leadership Friday published the name of a police officer who opened fire on a fleeing domestic-violence suspect in La Mesa during a Memorial Day police chase La Mesa police Officer Taylor Persitza fired at Jahlil Juakeen Johnson but missed as the suspect allegedly used his carriage to ram a police cruiser in the block of Parks Avenue according to investigators The events that led to the gunfire and Johnson s subsequent arrest began shortly after a m Monday when police responded to a assessment of a man choking a woman in the block of Normal Avenue As patrol personnel arrived in the neighborhood they saw Johnson driving off with a woman according to police When the officers tried to pull him over he refused to yield During the ensuing chase the suspect stopped briefly letting the guest out before driving away again Officers followed but the pursuit was terminated once they learned two young children ages and were inside the bus A short time later the suspect doubled back to where he had dropped off the woman and let the children out as well according to police He drove away once more After crisscrossing La Mesa Johnson pulled over near where the chase had begun put his carriage in reverse and backed it into the squad car with Persitza inside according to police The officer hit his head investigators mentioned and in response fired his handgun in the direction of the suspect truck He hit the carriage several times but not the suspect Johnson sped off again leading police west into the city of San Diego and eventually back to La Mesa The pursuit ended in the block of University Avenue when one of Johnson s relatives stepped in front of his bicycle forcing him to halt The suspect then got out of the car and fled on foot for about two blocks before being taken into custody Johnson was hospitalized for remedy of injuries before being booked into San Diego Central Jail on a slate of felony charges He was being held on million bail Persitza who has been with La Mesa police for eight years was treated and distributed for the injuries suffered during the pursuit The San Diego Police Department investigates shootings by La Mesa police personnel under terms of a countywide agreement designed to prevent conflicts of interest