SAN DIEGO COUNTY, California — A man was shot and killed by California Highway Patrol officers early Sunday morning after he led police on a chase that stretched nearly 100 miles.
The incident began around midnight near Santa Ana in Orange County when law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle because of a traffic violation. As of Sunday night, CHP was unable to immediately confirm which agency tried to stop the vehicle or the exact violation.
The driver, who was alone in the vehicle, then went south on Interstate 5 at speeds more than 100 mph until reaching Carmel Valley where he put on his hazard lights and stopped in the middle of the freeway. Officers ordered the man to get out of his vehicle, but he drove away after a few minutes.
Officers continued following the man as he continued south on Interstate 805 and stopped near the Orange Ave./Olympic Pkwy exit. Again, police ordered the man to get out of his vehicle, but he refused. When the man attempted to drive off for a second time, a police vehicle used a pursuit intervention technique, or PIT maneuver, to spin the vehicle 180 degrees and end the pursuit.
At some point, the man got out and officers fired at least 10 rounds before deploying a police dog.
The driver was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured during the shooting.
It is not known whether the man was armed or what prompted officers to open fire.
CHP kept the southbound portion of the freeway between Palomar St and Orange Ave. closed for approximately 13 hours as homicide investigators from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department collected evidence and investigated the scene.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to perform an autopsy and release the man’s name once his family is notified.