$3M bond set for Arizona man accused in deadly police chase

GILBERT, Ariz. (AP) — A $3 million bond has been set for a man arrested on suspicion of leading police on a high-speed vehicle chase in metro Phoenix last week in which an officer was killed and another was seriously injured.

Authorities said 25-year-old Jonathan Altland Jr. led the chase Thursday night that ended at a Gilbert car dealership where Chandler Officer Christopher Farrar was fatally injured and Gilbert Officer Rico Aranda suffered a head injury.

Authorities said the pursuit began near Eloy when Altland opened fire on the vehicle of a Pinal County sheriff’s deputy who tried to pull over Altland for speeding in a pickup truck that was later discovered to be stolen.

As he headed to Chandler, Altland is accused of driving the wrong way down a roadway at speeds as high as 100 mph, crashing through a gate at Chandler Municipal Airport, driving the wrong way down a freeway and crashing into a fence on an embankment.

Investigators said he fled on foot, entered the nearby car dealership, struck a manager with another vehicle and sped out of the service bay area, leading officers to open fire as Altland accelerated toward them.

Authorities say Altland continued driving through a parking lot, striking Farrar and slamming into a parked vehicle that hit Aranda. Farrar was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Altland, who has been booked, remains at a hospital for treatment of his injuries, which were not life-threatening, police said.

It’s unclear whether an attorney has been appointed to defend Altland.