Ventura Police Department – Incident Press Release
On June 14th at 4:18 PM, the Ventura Unified School District was holding senior graduation ceremonies at the City Hall, and the Ventura Police Department School Resource Officers were assisting with event security and traffic control. The event was a modified graduation “experience” in which the participating students and family members were driving up to the front steps of the City Hall to receive their diplomas.
At approximately 1618 hours, one of the officers was at the intersection of Poli St. and Chestnut St., monitoring participating vehicles that were entering the event, when he noticed a vehicle approaching his location westbound on Poli St. The vehicle, a white Jeep Gladiator, was travelling at a high rate of speed and did not appear to be slowing down as it got closer to the intersection. As the officer stood in the street trying to get the driver’s attention, the driver later identified as Cameron Ransom, DOB: 11/21/90, Ojai Resident, accelerated towards the officer. The officer was able to move out of the path of the vehicle, which continued driving on Poli St. towards the area of the main event, where students, families and school staff were congregated.
Ransom continued to drive at a high rate of speed, before suddenly turning up into the rear parking lot of the City Hall. Before turning, another officer pulled two volunteers, a parent and student, out of the roadway fearing they might get hit by Ransom’s vehicle.
At the time, the rear parking lot was crowded with vehicles, which were occupied by parents and students staged for the event, so all three School Resource Officers quickly responded on foot and in vehicles in an attempt to stop Ransom. Ransom continued to drive recklessly and at a high rate of speed as he started driving back towards the main event. Officers used a patrol vehicle to block his path and attempted to remove Ransom from his vehicle. Ransom resisted, but when additional officers arrived on scene, he was safely detained.
It was determined Ransom was driving under the influence. He became combative during the field sobriety examination and after a brief struggle, he was taken into custody.
After a medical clearance for minor injuries he sustained during the struggle, Ransom was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon of a police officer, resisting arrest and driving under the influence of alcohol.
No one was injured as a result of this incident.
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