Off-Duty Alhambra Officer Shoots Himself While Being Pursued By Off-Duty Deputy In San Marino

SAN MARINO (CBSLA) – In a bizarre series of events, an off-duty Alhambra police officer accidentally shot himself while being pursued by an off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy for speeding in San Marino late Sunday night in what was initially reported as a road rage confrontation.

Just after 8:30 p.m., an off-duty L.A. County Sheriff's deputy noticed a Subaru speeding in the area of San Gabriel Boulevard and Duarte Road and decided to give chase in his Mercedes with the intention of asking the driver to slow down, San Marino police told CBS2 Monday.

The deputy caught up with the Subaru and motioned for its driver, who turned out to be an off-duty Alhambra police officer, to roll down his window.

The officer told investigators that he feared for his safety and tried to pull out his gun, at which point it accidentally discharged, and he shot himself in the torso, police said.

The officer was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries and he is expected to survive. The deputy was not hurt.

Records indicate the owner of the Subaru is an Alhambra police officer, but officials told CBSLA's Dave Lopez they would not comment on any such information.

San Marino police also did not release the officer's identity.

The deputy is assigned to the LASD Courts Services Division, police said.

Neither the deputy or the officer have been arrested or charged. There's no evidence that either man knew the other was law enforcement, police said. The incident was initially reported as a road rage confrontation, but police later clarified to CBS2 that was not the case.

San Marino police are continuing to investigate.