A routine traffic stop turned fatal late Wednesday night in downtown Santa Ana, leaving a 19-year-old father dead and a community searching for answers. The incident, which unfolded in front of the man’s girlfriend and their infant child, is now under investigation by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
The Incident
The confrontation began around 10:30 p.m. on January 28 near East 4th and French streets. According to the Santa Ana Police Department, officers attempted to pull over a vehicle, sparking a brief, low-speed pursuit. The chase ended shortly after inside the parking garage of The Spectrum luxury apartments at 450 East Fourth Street.
Conflicting Accounts
Police reports state that as the driver exited the vehicle, a firearm fell to the ground. Officials claim the officer fired after the man allegedly reached for the weapon despite commands to stay back.
However, the narrative has met immediate scrutiny. Footage circulating on social media appears to show the 19-year-old exiting the car with his hands raised in the moments before the shots were fired. While the police confirmed a firearm was recovered at the scene, the discrepancy between the official statement and the viral video has sparked significant outcry online.
Family on the Scene
Inside the car were the man’s 19-year-old girlfriend and their 1-year-old child. While neither was physically injured, they witnessed the shooting firsthand. The identity of the deceased has not yet been formally released by the Orange County Coroner.
What’s Next?
Per standard protocol for officer-involved shootings, the involved officer has been placed on administrative leave. The Santa Ana Police Department is conducting an internal administrative investigation alongside the independent probe by the DA.
As of Thursday morning, investigators remain on-site at the parking structure.
It should be noted that the SAPD removed a Facebook post about the shooting. We saved the graphic from that post as seen above. They had also posted a picture of their PIO at the scene, which we did not save.
It is likely that the anti-police members of the Santa Ana City Council – Jessie Lopez, Ben Vazquez and Johnathan Ryan Hernandez and O.C. Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento will blame the police, as they usually do. Several of them have in fact called our police officers murderers after past shootings.
Whether or not the 19-year-old was armed he had no business fleeing from the police. If he had a gun in the car it was awfully unwise to begin with, and was likely not legal. It would not be surprising to find out he had a prior criminal record. One must also wonder why the young man was driving around with a toddler so late at night.
Santa Ana residents should brace themselves for anti-police gatherings and rioters that are surely going to happen soon.