A 24-year-old Santa Rosa man was arrested Thursday afternoon for reportedly climbing out of his SUV with a loaded gun pointed at a police officer.

The officer later learned the vehicle he had stopped was the same one about whom motorists had been calling the CHP complaining of someone brandishing a firearm at other drivers.

The incident occurred at 4:10 p.m. at West and Sunset avenues in the Roseland area of Santa Rosa, where the traffic officer pulled over a gold 2002 Cadillac Escalade sport utility truck that had been traveling recklessly on Sebastopol Road, police said.

The driver, later identified as Bonifacio Santos Alejandres, provided a false identification to police and then refused to step out of the vehicle when asked, police said.

When the officer opened his door and began to escort Alejandres from the truck he had his hand tucked suspiciously behind his back, police said.

Alejandres finally stepped out and had a gun pointed at the officer, who instinctively struck him in the face, causing Alejandres to drop the gun, authorities said.

Backup officers helped arrest Alejandres, who was booked into the Sonoma County Jail for suspected assault on a police officer with a firearm, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of narcotics for sale, being armed with a firearm while possessing drugs for sale, threatening a peace officer and probation violation.

His bail was set at $250,000, but he was being held Friday on an immigration hold, jail personnel said.

His passenger, Joel Parra Orosco, 24, also was arrested for possession for sale of a controlled substance and resisting arrest, police said.

Orosco also was being held on an immigration hold, jail personnel said.