Driver Subdued with Tasers After Allegedly Pulling Knife at End of Pursuit in Pasadena: Officials

Police used Tasers to subdue a man who they say held an 8-inch knife to his own throat after leading the California Highway Patrol on a pursuit that ended in Pasadena early Sunday.

Police identified the man as Roy Lee Gray, 64, of Sylmar. It was not immediately clear if Gray would be booked into jail or first held for psychiatric evaluation.

The incident began shortly before 4:30 a.m. when a CHP officer tried to stop a car being driven by Gray for a traffic violation on the 210 Freeway, said Pasadena police Lt. Anthony Russo.

Gray refused to pull over, leading the officer on a brief slow-speed chase before exiting the freeway and heading south on Lake Avenue, Russo said. Pasadena police responded to assist the CHP officer, who already had the driver stopped at Lake Avenue and Arden Road when they arrived.

Gray had thrown his keys out of the car at the instruction of the CHP, Russo said.

“As we got there, the driver got out of the car with an 8-inch knife in his hand and held it to his throat,” the lieutenant said.

“He made comments that he was not going back to jail.”

Russo said Gray then picked up his keys from the ground. Fearing he was going to resume fleeing in the car, endangering both himself and the public, two officers used Tasers on him, he said.

Gray was incapacitated by the Tasers, quickly disarmed and detained, according to Russo. He was placed in the custody of the CHP.