Palm Springs police officer hit by car while making arrest
A vehicle hit a Palm Springs police officer, pinning her against her motorcycle while she was arresting two men on suspicion of two robberies that happened minutes before, a news release from the Palm Springs Police Department stated.
A 16-year-old boy told police two men driving a red Honda Civic pulled up behind him, the driver got out and robbed him of money at knifepoint Wednesday morning in the parking lot of a convenience store near the intersection of Sunrise Way and Vista Chino.
Minutes later, a second person reported he was robbed at knifepoint by two men of a similar description in a McDonald’s parking lot adjacent to the convenience store, the release stated.
Motorcycle Officer Melissa Desmarais saw two people who fit the description of the robbers in the Walgreens parking lot at 1700 E. Vista Chino. She followed the car to the parking lot of Baja Springs Meat Market at 1800 N. Sunrise Way, the release stated.
Desmarais held the suspects at gunpoint and radioed for assistance.
Before backup arrived, an unrelated vehicle backed up out of a parking space and hit Desmarais, pinning her between the vehicle and her motorcycle, the release stated.
“Officer Desmarais maintained her composure, radioed that she had been hit by a car, and continued to focus her attention on the two robbery suspects,” the release stated.
Jesus Daniel Rocha, 30, of Desert Hot Springs, and John Richard Davalos, 43, of Palm Springs, were arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, the release stated.
Desmarais was treated for a bruised leg at a hospital and released.
—Jessica Logan
jlogan@PE.com