A California Highway Patrol officer was in stable condition Friday after being shot during a traffic stop in West Covina, and a 30-year-old man was in custody in connection with the shooting, authorities said.
The incident began about 1:40 a.m. near the intersection of Sunset and Garvey avenues, just north of the 10 Freeway, said Officer Rodrigo Jimenez, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.
Officers pulled over a silver Cadillac Escalade and were fired upon, Jimenez said. The officers, one of whom was struck by the gunfire, shot back and wounded a male occupant of the vehicle, according to the spokesman.
The SUV, which had a sticker for the ride-sharing service Uber in the window, then fled the scene, Jimenez said. He would not comment on why the vehicle was pulled over initially.
The injured 40-year-old officer, a six-year veteran of the Highway Patrol, was transported to a hospital and listed in stable condition, the CHP said.
The Cadillac and suspected gunman were located by West Covina police, Jimenez said, prompting an hourlong pursuit that ended about 2:45 a.m. when the vehicle either crashed or became stuck in a field near the intersection of Citrus Avenue and Arrow Boulevard in Fontana.
“We tried to ask him to step out (of the SUV) and at some point he became resistant,” Jimenez said.
A West Covina Police Department officer then deployed a K-9 dog. News video from the scene appears to show the man struggling with animal as he is subdued and taken into custody.
The suspect, wounded by gunfire and the dog, was transported to a hospital in unknown condition, according to the CHP.
Multiple weapons were found inside the SUV, Jimenez said Friday afternoon. The officer would not say if the firearm used in the shooting was found.
Jimenez would not confirm if the Escalade was registered to provide rides for Uber customers. CHP was not concerned with that issue at this point in the investigation, which was focused on what prompted the driver to open fire on officers, Jimenez said.
The vehicle was not reported stolen, he said.
KTLA’s Melissa Pamer contributed to this article.
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