Man who led officers over fences & across rooftops during dramatic chase arrested

HEMET — A man with multiple felony warrants was apprehended after leading authorities on a lengthy foot pursuit through residential neighborhoods and backyards, over fences and down alleys, and across rooftops, Sunday afternoon, Aug. 12.

The dramatic foot chase began near San Jacinto Valley Cemetery and ended more than a half-mile away when the suspect was tackled by officers after jumping off the roof of a private residence where he had been trying to hide from pursuing and searching officials.

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According to area residents, at one point while running through a citizen’s back yard the fleeing suspect was attacked by a family’s dog, but managed to break free after reportedly kicking the dog in the face. No information about the dog’s status was immediately available.

Another area resident later reported that her two dogs, a dachshund and German shepherd mix escaped from her property after the fleeing man ran through her backyard.

After searching the area for several hours, the dog owner reported finding her shepherd, but as of the next evening, she had not yet located her other dog, which is still missing.

The incident began when a Hemet PD officer spotted Darrion Geebroomfield, 23, of Hemet, about 2:45 p.m., in the area of E. Menlo Ave. and N. Santa Fe St. The officer recognized Geebroomfield as having at least five felony warrants for spousal abuse and other charges, according to an officer at the scene of Sunday’s arrest.

When officers attempted to contact Geebroomfield, he fled south on Santa Fe before losing officers while fleeing through residential backyards.

Multiple Hemet PD officers converged on the scene and began searching the area, eventually spotting him running from yard to yard and jumping backyard fences.

Area residents, hearing all the sirens and seeing “heavy police activity,” began reporting sightings of a black male adult, wearing a red button up shirt and long shorts, fleeing down alleys and through neighborhoods.

Area residents soon reported spotting the fleeing man hiding on residential rooftops, at which time officers requested help tracking and apprehending the man from Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, asking for assistance from a sheriff’s K-9 and aviation unit.

Officers again spotted Geebroomfield running east on Oakland Ave. near Santa Fe St., where they again lost visual of the fleeing man as he cut through a back yard. Officers reported that he was seen reaching for an unknown object in his waistband or pocket as he leaped over a fence into another yard on E. Campus Way, between N. Santa Fe and N. San Jacinto Streets.

“Star 9” eventually arrived in the area and Aviation Unit deputies began searching the neighborhoods from above, while a sheriff’s K-9 tracked the fleeing man from the ground.

Based on where he had last been seen, officers and assisting deputies established a perimeter around the residential neighborhood where Geebroomfield was last seen running and began a systematic search of every property within the neighborhood.

Officers eventually spotted Geebroomfield on the roof of a home on Campus Way and as officials rushed to the home, he jumped off the roof attempting to continue fleeing, but was tackled by officers and arrested without further incident.

After his arrest, Geebroomfield was taken to a hospital for a medical clearance required for booking, either for injuries he received when he was bitten by the citizen’s dog or that he received while fleeing and being taken into custody.

He was later booked at Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of five counts of spousal abuse, two counts of resisting arrest, grand theft, disobeying a court order, and vandalism. He remains in custody on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at an unspecified court, Aug. 15.

No officers or citizens were injured during the foot pursuit or arrest.

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Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents video

Robert Carter/Public Safety Incidents video

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and The Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.