A wanted felon was shot by police Wednesday night after allegedly brandishing a handgun during a high-speed chase that ended in Beaumont, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department reported. The incident began at approximately 7:16 p.m. when officers from the Riverside County Regional Gang Task Force confronted the suspect inside a vehicle at Whittier Avenue and Girard Street in Hemet. According to the department's statement, despite police commands, the suspect failed to surrender and instead fled rapidly, setting off a pursuit.
Dodging the officers' attempts to stop him, a pursuit ensued after the suspect's vehicle failed to yield, leading police through Hemet and northbound on Highway 79. The chase came to an end when the suspect’s vehicle stopped and became disabled near Veile Avenue and Fourth Street. The suspect, fleeing at a high rate of speed, abandoned his disabled vehicle and attempted to escape on foot behind an industrial complex on the 500 block of B Street.
The officers gave chase, and during the subsequent foot pursuit, "the suspect presented a handgun and an officer-involved shooting occurred," as stated in the report by Sergeant Deirdre Vickers. After being struck by gunfire, the suspect received medical aid from the officers until paramedics arrived on the scene and transported him to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
The names of the involved Hemet Police and California Highway Patrol officers who have been placed on paid administrative leave according to agency policy, however, have not been disclosed at this time. The Sheriff’s Office assures that the Riverside County Force Investigations Detail, led by an investigator, is conducting an active and ongoing investigation into the shooting. Individuals with knowledge regarding the event are encouraged by officials to contact Master Investigator Martin Alfaro or District Attorney Investigator JR Ferrer at 951-955-2700 for their potential contribution to the valuable resolution of the case.
While inquiries are underway, the involved law enforcement officers will be adhering to their respective agencies’ policies concerning incidents of this nature. With the case's circumstances and actions under meticulous review, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department has made available its Media Information Bureau for further press inquiries into the shooting incident.
