Woman accused of trying to run over police sergeant

By Kathryn Reed

A 60-year-old South Lake Tahoe woman who lives in her van had the windows shot out with bean bags by police after she nearly ran over a sergeant, led officers on a chase and held them at bay for 30 minutes.

South Lake Tahoe police officers responded to a call of gunshots being fired on Oct. 15 at 7:10pm near Regan Beach. They found Jill Shelly in a full size 1988 Ford E350. She was reportedly confrontational and wanted to talk to a supervisor.

Sgt. Shannon Laney said when he arrived on the scene Shelly tried to run him over. As she spun the vehicle toward Laney, Officer Travis Cabral broke the driver side window. He’s off work for a few weeks after needing stitches in his hand from cutting it on the glass.

Shelly sped off, leading officers on a two-mile chase. In front of Rojo’s Bar and Grill at Los Angeles and Harrison avenues, Laney said the suspect swerved toward customers standing out front.

The chase ended in front of the police department on Johnson Boulevard.

“After a 30-minute standoff, Shelly finally complied with officers only after the officers shot out all of the windows in her van with bean bags and threatened to send the police K-9 in after her,” Laney said in a statement.

Earlier this fall officers had a run-in with Shelly near the El Dorado County library when there was a report of shots fired. Nothing tied her to the shots fired that day.

On Friday, Shelly was arrested on charges of attempted homicide, felony evading an officer and resisting an officer. No firearms were found in the van she lives out of.

“I’ve never seen two big pursuits like that in one day, let along one month,” Laney said of this and the chase that ended with three arrests in Kings Beach earlier Friday. He said it was lucky no one was seriously injured considering the speeds of the first chase and the number of officers involved between the two events.

Anyone who knows Shelly or witnessed the altercation is asked to contact Detective Jeff Roberson at (530) 542.6100.