On April 7th, 2016, at approximately 1:05 pm, North Sacramento CHP Motorcycle Officer Michael Ericson encountered a 2001 Ford F350 pickup truck in the center divider of westbound Interstate 80, east of Madison Ave. The driver intentionally assaulted Officer Ericson with the 2001 Ford F350 pickup truck and fled the scene.

The pickup truck was abandoned in a construction zone westbound I-80, near Northgate Boulevard where a second pickup truck was stolen.  The driver again fled westbound I-80 where CHP officers located and initiated a pursuit of the stolen pickup truck.  As the pursuit traveled through Solano County, CHP deployed a spike strip disabling a rear tire. The suspect stopped the stolen pickup truck on westbound I-80, east of Lyon Road, where he was taken into custody by CHP.

The suspect was identified as Austin Barry Scott, 28 years of age, of Reno, Nevada. He was transported by ambulance to the North Bay Medical Center. Scott exhibited the symptoms of drug intoxication at the time of the arrest.  It was determined the 2001 Ford pickup truck, used in the assault on Officer Ericson, was reported stolen in Reno, NV on 4/7/2016.  Following a medical clearance, Scott was transported for questioning by investigators and subsequently booked into Sacramento County Jail on the following charges:

•P.C. 664/187 – Attempted Murder

•P.C. 245 – Assault With a Deadly Weapon

•V.C. 2800.2 – Evading Arrest

•P.C. 496d– Possession of Stolen Vehicle(s)

•V.C. 10851(A) – Vehicle Theft

•V.C. 23153(E) – Driving Under the Influence of Drugs

As a result of this assault, Officer Ericson sustained major injuries and was transported by air ambulance to U.C. Davis Medical Center.  At this time, he is in critical condition. Officer Ericson is a 17 year veteran of the CHP.  He has worked in San Francisco, Napa, Solano, and North Sacramento. He has been assigned to the North Sacramento Office for the past 6 years. Officer Ericson is a U.S. Marine veteran. He is engaged to be married and has two sons.

A Statement from Officer Ericson’s Family:

“We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone for the outpouring of support in light of this horrible attack. The amount of support we have received has been overwhelming and very much appreciatd. Thank you all for your compassion and love that you have expressed for Mike. All of the support makes a time like this easier and we know it will help Mike heal faster and make a full recovery. Thank you.”

Officer Ericson remains in critical, but stable, condition.

Any additional information about this news release should be directed to Officer Berry who will be available at the CHP North Sacramento Area business phone number: (916) 348-2317, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For urgent matters or to contact after hours you can reach her on her cell phone at (916) 936-2120.