A mess that started in Anaheim ended in a deadly hail of police gunfire in Santa Ana on Wednesday night, at West Memory Lane and Bristol Street in Santa Ana. The situation was so hot that at one point no less than five helicopters were circling overhead.
As usual the SAPD did a poor job of communicating about what was happening only posting on X that “There is currently a large police presence in the area of Bristol Street and Memory Lane.”
What started this fatal misadventure? Anaheim police officers responded to a motel shooting at around 7:45 p.m. at the 300 block of North Brookhurst Street in Anaheim. They found an injured man who was hospitalized, according to the Anaheim Police.
The Anaheim police spotted a white pickup truck nearby the motel which was believed to be the shooting suspect’s vehicle. When the officers tried to pull over the driver they failed to yield and a police pursuit began that ended up lasting about 45-minutes.
The suspect drove in both directions of the 91 Freeway, as well as on local streets, according to the Anaheim Police. The suspect was barely able to avoid hitting several cars during the pursuit.
The pursuing police officers tried PIT maneuvers and even started to nudge the vehicle when it stopped near State College Boulevard and Westport Drive, but the driver evaded the efforts to stop the vehicle.
The police officers began the chase again, and were finally able to stop the vehicle by using more PIT-maneuver tactics at West Memory Lane and Bristol Street in Santa Ana.
After the suspect’s vehicle crashed ABC 7 News reoprted that the police officers had fired numerous shots at the suspect’s pickup. The windshield of the suspect’s vehicle could be seen to be riddled by the impact of the bullets.
One person died at the scene and a passenger inside the vehicle was detained without injuries, according to the Anaheim Police. The police are not sure yet if the dead suspect was the driver or the passenger.
The Anaheim Police also did not reveal whether the suspect was armed.
There was a similar incident in Santa Ana when a vehicle theft suspect, Brandon Lopez, who was the cousin of Santa Ana City Councilman Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, was fatally shot in Santa Ana by Anaheim police officers after a pursuit through four cities.
Relatives of O.C. Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento sued the Anaheim Police Department after that shooting and obtained a settlement of nearly $6 million dollars, according to the Voice of OC.
In California, the penalties for shooting a person and then fleeing from the police are severe and can include multiple charges:
- Attempted Murder or Murder: If the shooting results in injury or death, the suspect can be charged with attempted murder or murder. Penalties for murder can include life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or even the death penalty in certain circumstances.
- Assault with a Deadly Weapon: If the victim survives, the suspect may face charges of assault with a deadly weapon, which can result in several years in state prison.
- Evading Police: Fleeing from law enforcement is a serious offense. Under California Vehicle Code 2800.1, it is a misdemeanor to willfully flee from a pursuing officer in a motor vehicle. However, if the evasion involves reckless driving or results in injury or death, it can be charged as a felony with much harsher penalties.
- Additional Charges: Depending on the circumstances, additional charges such as illegal possession of a firearm, endangering public safety, and resisting arrest may also apply.
These combined charges can lead to lengthy prison sentences and substantial fines. The legal system takes such offenses very seriously due to the potential harm to individuals and public safety.
HAS ART EVER SERVED AS A PEACE OFFICER? IT READS THAT HE HAS NOT. I VALUE REPORTERS’ OPINIONS ABOUT AS MUCH AS THOSE OF GOV. GRUESOME, KAREN BLASTOFF, SHIFFTER, CACKLIN ROSIE CZARINA BORDER EXPERT KAMALA, BULLOSIS’ GROWN 20 MILLION DOLLAR FORTUNE ON HER $200,000/YEAR SALARY (INSIDER TRADING FOR $100, BOB) LET’S NOT FORGET THE GOV’S LET ME DO AN 180 DEGREE SPIN ON MY ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CALIFORNIA’S TAXPAYERS MONEY BEINNG BLOWN ON THE INFAMOUS BILLION DOLLAR TRAIN TO NOWHERE AND STILL UNCOMPLETED WITH A GROWING COST OVERUN, OR HOW ABOUT THE TAX DOLLARS HE USHERED OUT OF STATE IN LONG GONE BUSINESES, DEFYING OUR LAWS BY TRYING TO MAKE CALIFORNIA A SANCTUARY STATE FOR ILLEGALS, GRUESOME’S BEGUN HIS RUN FOR PRESIDENT SPUTTERING AND FEINTING AS ONLY HIS SILVER LOCKS AND PHOTO OPS CAN GO ONLY SO FAR. LEFTY NEWS MINIONS OF GEORGE SORE ARS, And c. BS, A Before the facts b Can’t fault the socialists for anything and Never value the truth in search of ratings BC. The bad guys love the attention and seeing themselves in their 10 seconds of fame, not for this clown, a “looking for suicide by peace officer” armed thug leaving many bills for unknowing citizens. At least he saved the cost of convicting this poor, misunderstood criminal and cleaned our streets of this trash.
LOL. I agree that the suspect got what he had coming.