Area residents furious after second major Hemet pursuit & attempted murder of officers in 4 days

October 7, 2020 Trevor Montgomery

HEMET, Calif. — A man who led Hemet police officers on a dangerous, high-speed pursuit in a stolen vehicle was arrested on assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon and other felony charges yesterday morning, Tuesday, Oct. 6.

During the chase, the fleeing man reached speeds up to 100 mph and at one point swerved at and attempted to run down a Hemet police officer who was trying to deploy spike strips in an attempt to flatten the fleeing vehicle’s tires.

“Thankfully, the officer was able to jump out of the way and was not injured,” Hemet Police Lt. Nate Miller later said of the chase and arrest.

LEADING THE RCNS HEADLINES:
Drowning victim’s body recovered at Canyon Lake
Murrieta bicyclist, 82, fatally struck by car in Temecula
UPDATE: Missing man’s body found on La Quinta Cove hiking trail
UPDATE: Drunk parolee who killed pregnant women in fiery wreck arrested
Woman steals Riverside fire engine while firefighters treat man who stopped breathing

Yesterday’s pursuit was the second potentially deadly chase to happen involving Hemet PD in the last four days, after an Oct. 2 pursuit during which the fleeing suspect fired numerous rounds at pursuing HPD and CHP vehicles. At least two patrol vehicles were struck by gunfire before that chase came to a peaceful conclusion when the suspect suddenly stopped on Hwy 74 near Juniper Flats Rd. and gave up to officials. Another Hemet police SUV was wrecked during the pursuit, when it was involved in a crash with a car unrelated to the dangerous chase.

The day before that pursuit, Murrieta PD was involved in a deadly chase that ended with a devastating three-vehicle crash that left a passenger from the fleeing car dead, and an officer trapped and seriously injured after his patrol vehicle overturned. The officer, Mathew Guzzino, was later airlifted with major injuries and according to family members, “His road to recovery will likely be a long journey, requiring several surgeries and physical therapy.”

Yesterday’s dangerous high-speed pursuit was the third chase to rock the southwest Riverside County area in the last five days. The first, Oct. 1, deadly pursuit ended with a major, three-vehicle collision that killed a passenger in the fleeing vehicle and hospitalized a Murrieta PD officer with major injuries. The second pursuit happened the very next day, when a fleeing man repeatedly fired upon pursuing vehicles, striking two patrol cars in the process. Joe Fanaselle photo 1, John Strangis/EN Media Productions photo 2

Yesterday’s chase began around 9:10 a.m., when two alert City of Hemet police officers patrolling near the intersection of Lyon and Johnston avenues spotted a silver Honda in front of them they believed to be stolen.

“They checked the license plate on the Honda and confirmed it was, in fact, a reported stolen car,” Lt Miller explained; adding, “When the driver realized officers were following him, he sped away and a pursuit was initiated.”

As the pursuit continued, the driver, Rickie Shane Dutchove Inskeep, a 32-year-old Hemet resident, led the pursuing officers to the area of Kirby Ave. and Garland Way, where another Hemet Police officer was setting up a spike strip.

“When (Inskeep) saw the officer with a spike strip on the side of the road, he intentionally turned the speeding Honda toward the officer,” according to Miller; who added that that the officer barely managed to jump out of the way of the speeding Honda, narrowly avoiding being struck.

SEE RELATED:
UPDATE: One dead after Murrieta pursuit-related crash that seriously injured officer
BREAKING: Pursuit, rolling shots fired, crash, shock SJ valley residents

The pursuit then continued out of Hemet onto Winchester Rd., where the fleeing man reached speeds up to 100 mph while traveling on the wrong side of the highway into oncoming traffic. According to witnesses, including one who later spoke with RCNS about the dangerous incident, the man’s reckless driving actions caused other motorists to swerve off the roadway to avoid being struck.

“After turning onto Washington Street from Winchester Road in the French Valley area, the suspect pulled the vehicle over and was arrested without further incident,” Miller described.

After his apprehension, Inskeep was booked into Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer, two counts of felony evading, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Online jail records indicate Inskeep remains in custody in lieu of $100,000 bail or bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta tomorrow, Oct. 8.

No citizens or officers were injured during the dangerous pursuit or Inskeep’s apprehension.

LEADING THE SCNS NORTH STATE HEADLINES:
Woman who repeatedly rammed big rig during Burney road rage incident arrested
Crushed by tree weakened by Zogg Fire, cruiser totaled – Deputies uninjured
Released from jail just hours earlier, Redding parolee fatally shoots man
Deputies hear gunshots in Round Mountain, find man’s body

“This is just insane. This valley is out of control with criminals,” Temecula resident Larry Eldridge, who was one of several motorists nearly struck by Inskeep during his attempted flight for freedom, later angrily told RCNS.

“It seems like no matter what our cops do, or what the criminals do, they (the suspected criminals) are just released back into the streets within hours,” Eldridge continued; adding, “It makes no sense and just continues to place citizen’s and officer’s lives at risk.”

Rickie Inskeep, 32, of Hemet, was arrested and faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and other felony charges after allegedly attempting to run down a Hemet police officer during a pursuit that reached speeds up to 100 mph yesterday morning. HPD photo

Jenny Newlander, of Winchester, echoed Eldridge’s sentiments, telling RCNS, “This state’s supposed justice system is broken.”

“The system and this state have failed us, the regular citizens who just want to live our lives peacefully and without the constant fear of being victimized by these criminals who have no fear of arrest. They know they will just be released within hours of being booked into jail, regardless the seriousness of their charges.”

“It’s like our state’s current leadership has no clue just how bad and dangerous it is out here,” Newlander continued. “They obviously don’t give a damn about what we are going through because of the consequences of their insane politics and choices.”

“Remember this when it’s time to vote,” said Newlander; adding, “It’s time for a total shakeup and change of our state’s leadership; or more criminals will continue to be released unnecessarily and more citizens and officers will continue to die as a result.”

This article sponsored by:

For more information, contact Bill Tyler at Century 21 Full Realty Service.

Voted Best Independent Sandwich Shop in the Inland Empire by The Press-Enterprise readers choice. Centrally located on N Harvard St in the heart of Downtown Hemet, enjoy over 30 different sandwiches and premium salads. Our coffee is made from locally roasted, Organic Coffee Beans from Idyllwild Coffee Roasters. Come taste the difference that is Downtown Deli & Coffee Company. For more information, visit Downtown Deli & Coffee Co. on Facebook.

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and 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.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.