Woman accused in ramming stolen vehicle into Tempe patrol cars booked into jail
A woman who was shot by Tempe police after they said she rammed a stolen vehicle into patrol cars in October was released from the hospital and booked into jail Saturday.
Kristina Duranceau, 33, was taken to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Intake, Transfer and Release facility, according to a Tempe police news release. She was booked on suspicion of multiple charges including aggravated assault against law enforcement, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful use of transportation.
On Oct. 16 officers found a vehicle that had been reported stolen earlier that day, Tempe police spokesperson Sgt. Greg Bacon said during a news conference in October. Tempe officers stopped the vehicle as it turned into the parking lot of an apartment complex, then the vehicle's driver fled, Bacon said.
Officers searched for the driver, later identified as Scott Gaines, while others tried to remove two other passengers from the vehicle, both women.
The front passenger, Duranceau, initially complied with officers and got out of the vehicle, Bacon said. Then she got back in the vehicle and began reversing, police said.
An officer discharged less-than-lethal rounds into the front passenger side of the car, Bacon said. She then rammed the car into several patrol cars, prompting police to fire more rounds, Bacon said.
At one point, Duranceau hit the front of an officer's vehicle, causing one officer to shoot his gun in her direction because he "feared for their immediate safety and the safety of the officers around," Bacon said.
As Duranceau continued to ram police cars, one officer and a sergeant, at separate times, shot in her direction because they feared for their safety, according to Bacon. She eventually hit a non-police vehicle in the area and a retaining wall before getting stuck on a curb, Bacon said.
Duranceau was taken to the hospital for treatment for multiple gunshot wounds, Bacon said.
The other passenger — who was only identified by officials as a 49-year-old — remained in the vehicle the entire time. Bacon said officers were aware she was still inside when they began shooting.
She left the vehicle unharmed, cooperated with officers and was released at the scene, Bacon said.
Gaines, the suspected driver of the stolen vehicle, was found and arrested by Tempe police on Oct. 25. He was booked on suspicion of theft of means of transportation.
The officers who shot Duranceau were identified as a 14-year veteran at the Tempe Police Department and an officer with four years of local law enforcement experience. Both were placed on administrative leave in accordance with Tempe police policy.
Chelsea Curtis contributed to this report.
Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kristina Duranceau arrested, charged with assault against Tempe police
