A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot Thursday during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley, and the suspect was killed two hours later during a confrontation with pursuing law enforcement officers, following a lengthy chase that ended in Norco, prompting partial closure of Interstate 15.
The deputy was killed shortly before 2 p.m. in the 3900 block of Golden West Avenue, near Rathke Drive, less than a block from Rustic Lane Elementary School, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department posted an official message, stating, “Please keep the (Riverside County sheriff’s) family and friends in your thoughts as we mourn the loss of Deputy Isaiah Cordero, who died in the line of duty.”
Sheriff Chad Bianco confirmed the deputy was mortally wounded during the encounter. The motorcycle patrolman was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where life-saving measures were attempted unsuccessfully.
The circumstances remained unclear, but early indications were that the ill-fated lawman was conducting a traffic enforcement stop.
The suspect, not immediately identified, fled in a black pickup truck, culminating in a pursuit that traveled at least two freeways in the Riverside metropolitan area.
Witnesses said the alleged gunman was waving at other motorists as he drove southbound on I-15 with a phalanx of law enforcement vehicles from the sheriff’s department, California Highway Patrol and other agencies on his tail.
The chase came to an end on southbound I-15 at Fourth Street in Norco, where the suspect’s vehicle may have been disabled by a spike strip. Images provided by multiple broadcasters suggested that the pickup was additionally rammed by a sheriff’s humvee.
He was killed at the scene, possibly during an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement personnel, none of whom were injured.
Southbound I-15 was completely shut down at Sixth Street in Norco, where motorists were detoured, while the scene where the suspect was killed was processed. A miles-long traffic jam ensued, stretching all the way back into San Bernardino.
As of 6 p.m., the closure remained in effect, and the CHP could not immediately confirm when it would be lifted.
The fallen deputy’s remains were borne from Riverside Community Hospital south to the coroner’s bureau in Perris for an official autopsy and cause of death ruling.
The transfer was solemnized by an extensive procession of public safety participants, including sheriff’s deputies, Riverside Police Department officers, CHP officers, Menifee police officers, Corona police officers, as well as personnel from agencies outside Riverside County.
County fire engines and trucks parked on overpasses, and crews saluted as the hearse carrying the fallen deputy headed south along Interstate 215. The CHP ran traffic breaks to clear motorists out of the way of the procession, which coursed along the freeway and surface streets for an hour as part of a tribute.
Streets throughout the residential area where the deputy was shot were blocked. Rustic Lane Elementary School is on winter break, and no classes were in session at the time of the shooting.
Bianco was slated to hold a news briefing to provide additional details later Thursday evening.