Santa Rosa police chase down suspect in stolen car

A Santa Rosa man suspected of stealing a car and illegally possessing a semi-automatic weapon and ammunition was arrested Friday night after a foot chase, police said.

Police spotted a stolen car about 8:15 p.m. near Cleveland and Hopper avenues in Santa Rosa and tried to pull it over in the parking lot of a nearby Starbucks.

The driver, 40-year-old Jason Joseph Mitchell, jumped out of the vehicle and, as officers held him at gunpoint, "aggressively" approached officers with his hands in his pockets, police said.

The officers gave commands to the suspect but he took off running in the opposite direction. They chased him, running through adjacent parking lots and around closed businesses. The officers finally caught up to the suspect, tackled and arrested him, police said.

Police searched the stolen vehicle and found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic firearm, additional ammunition and several loaded firearm magazines of other calibers in the car.

Mitchell received minor injuries during the chase and arrest, police said.

He was treated at a hospital before being booked into jail, on suspicion of vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, vehicle theft with priors, felon in possession of a firearm and felon in possession of ammunition.