El Paso officer swerves to avoid head-on collision; lower valley man arrested

EL PASO, Texas – El Paso police say an officer had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by a man who was driving straight towards him.

Police say the man, 24-year-old Brandon Almanzar, is a gang member who was stopped on March 3 in the parking lot of a business.

Police say officers who knew Almanzar had previous criminal warrants. After refusing to cooperate with officers, police say Almanzar got in his vehicle and drove directly towards an officer.

Almanzar was booked on the following warrants:

• Aggravated Assault Against a Public Servant
• Evading Arrest or Detention in a Vehicle
• Unauthorized use of Vehicle
• Theft of Property >=$750 < $2,500
• Assault Causes Bodily Injury
• Family Violence
• 19 Traffic Warrants Almanzar is also pending additional charges for narcotics.

Police say additional charges are pending for narcotics.