A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot this afternoon during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley, and the suspect was apprehended following a lengthy pursuit that ended in Norco.
The shooting occurred 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.
Sheriff Chad Bianco confirmed that the law enforcement officer, whose
identity was not immediately disclosed, was mortally wounded during the
encounter.
The suspect, at the wheel of a black pickup truck, fled the area,
culminating in a pursuit that traveled at least two freeways in the Riverside
metropolitan area.
Witnesses said that the alleged gunman, whose identity was not
released, was waving at other motorists as he drove southbound on Interstate 15
with a phalanx of law enforcement vehicles from the sheriff’s department and
California Highway Patrol on his tail.
The chase came to an abrupt 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 KABC7 and other broadcasters suggested that the
pickup might also have been rammed by a sheriff’s humvee.
The condition of the suspect could not be confirmed as of 4 p.m.
Streets throughout the residential area where the shooting occurred
were blocked. Rustic Lane Elementary School is on winter break, and no classes
were in session at the time of the shooting.
The circumstances remained unclear, but early indications were that
the ill-fated patrolman was conducting a traffic enforcement stop.
Bianco was expected to hold a news briefing to provide additional
details late Thursday afternoon.