Coachella Festival Traffic Cop Struck By Fleeing Orange County Driver

Palm Desert CA

18 April, 2022

11:47 AM

Description

INDIO, CA — An Indio police officer who was struck by a fleeing suspect vehicle down the street from the site of the Coachella Music & Arts Festival was discharged from a hospital Sunday. The incident occurred at 10:46 p.m. Saturday at Calle Conejo and Avenue 48 when the officer attempted to stop the driver for not following traffic controls put in place for the festival, according to the Indio Police Department. The officer was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries but was expected to recover. Indio police chased the suspect vehicle westbound on Avenue 48, then northbound on Jefferson Street, authorities said. When the suspect merged onto westbound Interstate 10, the California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit. The chase continued until the suspect was stopped and arrested at the intersection of Monterey Avenue and Varner Road in the unincorporated community of Thousand Palms, police said. The suspect, identified as Michael Anthony Berber, 32, of Fountain Valley, was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, felony evading/reckless driving and violation of probation. Police said the Berber, who remained jailed on $500,000 bail, was not a festival attendee. a.m. Sunday.