Sex Crime Suspect Surrenders to San Leandro Police

A 48-year-old San Leandro man has turned himself in to face charges that he perpetrated a series of "felonious sex crimes" over a 12-year-period.

But before Joseph Banner surrendered to San Leandro police at about 2:00 am Monday, authorities said he ran over an officer who tried to arrest him and led authorities on a 6-hour chase after claiming he had a gun.

Police said the incident began about 7:48 p.m. Sunday near the 500 block of Tudor Road, which runs parallel to the Union Pacific railroad tracks.

Officers had Banner under surveillance at his San Leandro home because of allegations that he had engaged in "several heinous and felonious sex crimes that spanned 12 years."

According to Lt. Jeff Tudor, the physical confrontation began when Banner left home and got into his truck to drive away.

Tudor said a patrol car approached Banner to make a stop. At first the suspect got out of his truck, as if to meet the officer, who also got out of his patrol car.

But Tudor said Banner jumped back into the driver's seat and backed his truck into the patrol car.

This collision drove the patrol car backward, forcing the officer to drop down and do a limbo under the open door, sustaining moderate injuries in the process, according to police.

Banner then got out of his vehicle and ran, Tudor said. The injured officer jumped up and gave chase but lost the suspect.

The officer was later taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

Meanwhile, a detective called Banner's cell phone. When the suspect said he was armed with a hand gun a SWAT team was called in to search the area but was unable to locate Banner, according to police.

At about 2:00 am Monday Banner surrendered. He was not armed at the time.

“Banner was a dangerous and desperate man,” Tudor said.

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