Fleeing Man Crashes in North Berkeley, Arrested after Brutal Downtown Beating

A fleeing 54-year-old Texas man – who allegedly had just violently beaten another man in downtown Berkeley – was arrested early this morning after he crashed his SUV into a tree in North Berkeley, police said.

The suspect had just violently beaten another man with a weapon near the BART station in downtown Berkeley about 12:45 a.m. and fled in a sport utility vehicle at a high rate of speed, heading northbound in the southbound lanes of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, hitting a responding police car, and then speeding away until he crashed into a tree near the North Berkeley Library at The Alameda and Hopkins Street, police said.

The suspect, Duane Nailor, "is being treated for non- life-threatening injuries suffered during the collision in a local hospital," Berkeley police said in a news release. "Nailor has been arrested for attempted murder, and related charges to be determined."

The victim, a 41-year-old Oakland resident, was hospitalized in critical condition with "major" injuries, according to police.

Police were alerted to the beating at the northeast corner of Center and Shattuck avenues by numerous calls. The suspect at one point used the weapon to break out a passing motorist's window and then resumed beating the victim, police said.

Here is the full text of the police news release:

Attempted Murder Suspect Arrested Following Attack, Pursuit, Crash

Berkeley, California (Wednesday, October 23, 2013) –Berkeley Police officers arrested a suspect in an apparent attempt murder case early this morning, following a pursuit in which the suspect struck a police car, and later crashed into a tree in north Berkeley, destroying his vehicle.

At approximately 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday, October 23rd, the Berkeley Police Department Communications Center received numerous calls reporting a man being violently beaten at the northeast corner of Shattuck Avenue and Center Street. Witnesses reported the suspect was using a weapon to beat the victim, who was down on the ground. The suspect also broke out a passing motorist’s window, then returned to beat the victim. As officers approached, the suspect fled west on Center Street, driving a sport utility vehicle. Witnesses directed Officers towards the suspect’s vehicle, which was westbound on Center Street. The suspect turned from Center Street north into the southbound traffic lane of Martin Luther King Jr. Way, where he struck a responding police car. The suspect then fled at a high rate of speed, speeding north on Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

Officers pursued the vehicle, but lost sight of the vehicle due to its high rate of speed. As officers arrived in the area of the Alameda and Hopkins Street, they found the suspect vehicle had been involved in a solo vehicle collision, and the suspect attempting to flee on foot. The suspect was taken into custody. Officers determined the vehicle had collided with a tree on the Alameda north of Hopkins Street. The vehicle's right side was sheared open by the impact with the tree.

The Alameda near Hopkins Street was closed for several hours, and is now open to all traffic.

The victim, a 41 year old male, of Oakland, suffered major injuries, and is in critical condition in a local hospital.

The suspect, Duane Nailor, 54 years old, of Texas, is being treated for non- life-threatening injuries suffered during the collision in a local hospital. Nailor has been arrested for attempted murder, and related charges to be determined.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing; no information regarding the circumstances leading up to the attack is available at this time. Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to please call the Homicide Detail at (510) 981-5741, or our non-emergency number at (510) 981-5900. If a person wishes to remain anonymous, he/she can call the Bay Area Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477). 

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