SANTA ANA, CA – An 18-year-old man was shot and killed by police Wednesday night after a brief vehicle pursuit ended at his apartment complex, where officers say he reached for a firearm despite having his girlfriend and infant child in the car.
The deadly confrontation unfolded around 10:30 p.m. when Santa Ana officers attempted to pull over a vehicle near 4th and French streets. Instead of stopping, the driver fled, leading police on a short chase that ended when he pulled into a parking structure at a condominium complex where he lived.
The driver’s girlfriend and their 1-year-old child were passengers in the vehicle during the pursuit. Neither was injured.
According to Santa Ana Police Public Information Officer Natalie Garcia, the driver initially exited the vehicle with his hands raised. But what happened next proved fatal.
“The suspect was attempting to reach for the weapon again, at which the officer discharged his duty weapon,” Garcia said.
Multiple shots were fired by the officer. The 18-year-old was struck and died at the scene. Police confirmed he was armed with a firearm.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure for officer-involved deaths in the county. The officer who fired has not been identified.
Police have not released the name of the deceased pending notification of family members. They also have not disclosed what originally prompted officers to attempt the traffic stop or why the driver chose to flee.
The girlfriend and child were unharmed and have been released.
What in the heck was the young male thinking, speeding away from the police with the young girl and the kid. And then, the police said he pull out a weapon. Now he is dead, and possibly the female was his girl friend or wife and the mother of the child. God bless them all.