Lemoore police officers arrest Councilmember Holly Blair after high-speed pursuit on Cinnamon Drive

The Lemoore Police Department, in a press release, said that at about 2 p.m. today Lemoore officers, with neighboring agencies involved and community members, were in the rear parking lot of the Lemoore Police Department, preparing for a procession to Hanford.

A Lemoore Police Department chaplain was preparing to start a cross-country journey traveling the country meeting with other police agencies and sharing information about the importance of mental health awareness in law enforcement.

It was at approximately 2:14 pm. that a red SUV, later identified as a 2008 Honda Pilot, pulled into the department’s rear parking lot at a high rate of speed. Officers shouted at the driver to stop. The vehicle drove to the end of the parking lot, made a  turn within the parking lot and then accelerated at a high rate of speed. Officers continued to shout at other officers to get their attention because they were in the path of the speeding vehicle. Officers began to pursue the car.

Police identified the driver of the vehicle as Holly Blair. She drove the car eastbound at a high rate of speed on West Cinnamon, traveling through intersections with what police say was no regard for public safety. Police spotted a juvenile in the back seat of her car.

Blair’s vehicle finally stopped on West Cinnamon close to the North Lemoore Avenue intersection, the location of the Starbucks coffee shop. Videos show that the suspect’s vehicle was stopped and surrounded. Police could be seen surrounding the car. Blair was given multiple verbal commands and did not comply. The suspect, Blair, was ultimately arrested and then booked into the Kings County Jail.

The Lemoore police say today’s arrest is an active investigation with many witnesses to be interviewed.

Blair has been a controversial figure in Lemoore since her election to the Lemoore City Council in 2016. She has clashed repeatedly with city officials, fellow council members, the Lemoore Police Department, and members of the public.

The most recent controversy came Tuesday (June 4) when the Kings County Grand Jury issued a report criticizing the Lemoore City Council mayor and city attorney for their inability to control Blair’s conduct during council meetings.

In August 2018, Blair was formally censured by her fellow council members for conduct unbecoming a council member. The censure also mandated that she not be allowed to represent Lemoore on a variety of boards and commissions.

In January the city brought a case against Blair, hoping to impose a restraining order on the first-term council member. Kings County Superior Court Judge Kathy Ciuffini denied the city’s restraining order and instead referred the two sides to mediation.

Instead of a restraining order, council members, during a special meeting, approved a “Compromise and Release Agreement” with Blair that cost the city nearly $100,000. The agreement included paying Blair’s legal fees – about $38,000. The legal agreement also appeared to lift her censure.

Wednesday’s incident is not Blair’s first incident involving a vehicle.

In October 2017,  a California Highway Patrol accident investigation at 19th Avenue and Bush Street revealed that Blair caused an accident when she ran a red light, striking another vehicle in the intersection. In an earlier statement to the CHP officer, Blair initially placed the blame for the accident on the driver of the other car. However, in his report, the investigator reviewed a video near the scene and after contacting a witness, determined that Blair’s version of the accident was inaccurate and that she caused the collision by running the red light.

She’s also been stopped several times while driving by Lemoore police officers, but police never charged Blair with a crime.

Blair was also the subject of a failed recall in 2016.

Blair has also accused Lemoore City Manager Nathan Olson and Chief of Police Darrell Smith of lying to her, and when newly elected council members Chad Billingsley and Stuart Lyons were sworn in, Blair referred to them as “terrible” people.

In January, Blair was a guest on a local podcast and implied that the City of Lemoore was awash with corruption, confessing that the two newest members, Billingsley and Lyons, offered to end her censure if she would apologize for her behavior. She referred to it as a form of blackmail.

Both Lyons and Billingsley resolutely denied Blair’s charge.

Blair has been a relentless user of social media, often posting questionable, profane, and misleading comments, some of which disparage fellow council members, most notably former mayor, Ray Madrigal. She has also posted negative comments about police.