The Oakley Police Department announced an arrest of two individuals after a vehicle pursuit after a theft in Brentwood.
According to police, the driver revered the vehicle at a high rate of speed and struck an officer in the chest by the open door before taking off. The suspects were later identified as Terrance Coleman (40, Brentwood) and Essence Thompson (33, Sacramento and Antioch).
Via Oakley Police:
On March 2, 2025 at approximately 10:33PM, Oakley Police Officers A. Martinez and F. Williams became aware of a theft at a Walgreens store that occurred in the City of Brentwood. The suspect vehicle was described as a white Chevrolet and it fled north on Empire Avenue from Lone Tree Way. Officers Martinez and Williams were in the area of Main Street and Empire Avenue and began checking for the vehicle.
Officers Martinez and Williams saw a white Chevrolet Equinox parked at 2001 Laurel Rd (7-Eleven), with two adults manipulating items in the trunk. Officers Martinez and Williams pulled behind the vehicle and turned on the overhead emergency lights of their patrol vehicle to make their presence clearly known and to start an investigation.
As officers approached the vehicle, a male walked from the rear of the vehicle and got into the driver seat of the vehicle and a female got into the passenger seat. Officer Williams approached the passenger side of the vehicle, with the passenger door still open, while Officer Martinez walked up to the driver’s side of the vehicle. The driver suddenly reversed the vehicle at a high rate of speed. Officer Williams was struck in the chest by the open door of the vehicle and he was pushed back. Officer Martinez sustained a glancing strike by the left rear quarter panel of the moving vehicle. Both Officers Martinez and Williams were able to quickly maneuver away from the fleeing vehicle before sustaining major injuries.
The suspect vehicle fled westbound on eastbound Laurel Rd (wrong way) toward the Highway 4 Bypass. Officers Martinez and Williams returned to their patrol vehicle and began trying to catch up with the suspect vehicle. Officers Martinez and Williams lost sight of the suspect vehicle and began searching for it. Officers Martinez and Williams found the suspect vehicle driving west on Highway 4 in the area of the ‘A’ Street exit. Oakley Police Officer Arcaina was able to get to the area at the same time. The suspect vehicle continued to flee from our trio of police officers.
The suspect vehicle took the ‘L’ Street off-ramp and turned on to Lemon Tree Way in Antioch. The suspect driver fled from the vehicle without putting it into park and it continued to roll until the female passenger jumped into the drivers seat and brought the vehicle to a stop. Officer Martinez took the female into custody and identified her as Essence Thompson (33, Sacramento and Antioch).
Officers Williams and Arcaina continued to chase after the suspect driver on foot. During the chase, the suspect fell and brought his hands under his body toward his waist. Fearing the suspect may be reaching for a weapon, a strike was delivered to his right side and he complied with officer commands by removing his hands from underneath him. Officers Williams and Arcaina then took the suspect into custody, identifying him as Terrance Coleman (40, Brentwood).
Brentwood Police Officers responded to the location to investigate the initial theft and took custody of Coleman and Thompson.
Oakley police detectives will be seeking the following charges against Coleman:
- Assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer (X2)
- Evading while driving on the wrong side of the road
- Evading with willful and wanton disregard for others
Chief Beard said, “It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the specific crimes being investigated by the Brentwood Police Department so I will leave what lead to my officers contacting these suspects vague. Have you ever heard somebody say “It’s just a theft” or how about “Maybe they were stealing things because they really need it”? Sadly I have heard these excuses extended towards criminals who choose to steal from businesses, homes and people alike instead of making a positive impact on society and paying for the things they want and need. I have also heard thieves are not dangerous. Well, peace officers cannot allow themselves to fall into this failed way of thinking and too many times an event happens, like what happened last night, to reinforce why we cannot approach things lightly.
I am glad the voters of California passed Proposition 36 last November so we can start making a stand against theft again. More important than that however, is the safety of our officers. I am very grateful Officers Martinez and Williams were alert and very reactive to the assault upon them and they were able to avoid being seriously injured. Not only did they get away from the immediate danger, they also collected themselves and engaged in the actions that lead to the apprehension of Terrance Coleman, who clearly had no regard for the authority, safety or lives of our officers.
Stay safe Oakley- officers and residents alike!”
Information Released by Oakley Police
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