Before the crash Brian Hanson, who was on a walk in the East Village, saw the suspect following a female jogger who looked visibly uncomfortable. Hanson said he tried to distract the man, which led to the man chasing him. When the man later got into a vehicle, Hanson also saw him driving toward pedestrians by city hall on Robert D. Ray Drive.

Officers tried to initiate a traffic stop near East Grand Avenue and Robert D. Ray Drive around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, according to a news release issued shortly after the crash. The release said the driver "apparently intentionally" rammed a squad care before fleeing at high speeds.