Deputies Fatally Shoot Man Suspected Of Firing Weapon During Yucca Valley Pursuit
YUCCA VALLEY (CBSLA) — A wild Yucca Valley pursuit came to an end after San Bernardino County deputies fatally shot a suspect inside of a semi-truck.
The Sunday pursuit began at about 9:39 p.m. after deputies from the Victor Valley Station responded to a report of a suspicious person at an Apple Valley home. The caller said he was following the semi-truck and was able to give dispatch a description and location.
When deputies located the vehicle, they said the driver failed to yield. Officials said the driver continued onto Highway 247 and the sheriff's department deployed its helicopter to assist. The sheriff's department said deputies were able to twice deploy spike strips, but the driver was able to evade them and then started firing at deputies. A deputy in the helicopter returned fire.
"The second deployment of spike strips is when the suspect was firing at the deputy," Jodi Miller, spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, said.
Witnesses were able to record the driver leading deputies on a more than 60-mile pursuit, capturing the sounds of gunfire on their cell phone cameras.
"The police were yelling at him, 'Please get out, we don't want to hurt you,'" Rebecca, a witness, said.
Rebecca saw the helicopter circling overhead after a deputy inside fired shots.
"I thought, 'Well, bullets fly. So, I'm going to run into the house,'" she said.
The pursuit continued onto Highway 62 where the suspect rammed a marked patrol unit, shot again at a deputy and a deputy returned fire.
The semi-truck then left the roadway on the south side of Highway 62 and Pinion where a deputy shot and hit the suspect who died at the scene.
Rebecca saw the semi-truck crash into the dirt berm, just across the street from her home.
"It's someones dad or son or brother, so it's sad," Rebecca said. "But you think, what did he do? He tried to kill a couple deputies."
One deputy was injured after his patrol vehicle was struck by the semi-truck, but did not require medical attention.