High-speed chase ends in Tempe after DPS says driver was impersonating law enforcement

TEMPE, Ariz. - The driver in a high-speed chase that started in Phoenix and ended in Tempe was allegedly impersonating law enforcement.

The chase reached speeds of more than 100 mph down multiple Valley freeways, and ended in a Tempe neighborhood on Nov. 9 around 2 a.m.

The driver in question was driving a red Jeep with flashing red and blue lights – allegedly impersonating law enforcement.

The car was spotted by a state trooper and the driver refused to pull over, so that’s when the chase began down I-10, to Loop 202, and exiting on Priest Drive. The chase ended in a neighborhood off University Drive and Albert Avenue when the Jeep was stopped by a Grappler device.

"You are not going to be able to get away from here," law enforcement was overheard saying from a helicopter.

Neighbors in the area were unable to get home.

"This street was blocked, that street was blocked, everybody was facing that way. We went in through the backyard, there was helicopters, lights, and police and all that," a neighbor named Sebastian Garcia said.

The driver, an unidentified woman, was arrested, and a passenger, a man, took off on foot, escalating things into a standoff. DPS says there were several others inside the Jeep, too.

"This is the Tempe Police Department," an officer said during the standoff. "We are not leaving."

Arizona DPS troopers, Tempe Police and Phoenix Police's helicopter were searching for the suspect.

"Go out front and give yourself up, or you’re going to end up getting bit by a dog," law enforcement said.

The suspect hiding in a backyard refused to come out.

"You are going to jail, you might as well go with all of your body parts intact," law enforcement said from the helicopter. "There is no point in getting hurt."

Eventually, authorities made their way into the backyard of the home and arrested the suspect.

Neighbors said it was a vacant home the suspect was hiding in, but those next door and neighbors that back up to the home were woken up in the middle of the night, very shaken up.

Names of the driver and passenger have not yet been released. Police say charges for police impersonation and felony unlawful flight are pending.

Retired Phoenix Police Commander Jeff Hynes says concerned Valley residents should have a plan if they believe they are being pulled over by a police impersonator.

"It’s simple, pull over in a well-lit, populated area. Call 911. You can ask to speak with a supervisor and tell them that you want a marked unit to come to your location," Hynes said.