Police Shoot, Kill Suspect During Early Morning Pursuit In Vallejo
VALLEJO (CBS SF) -- A man fatally shot by a police officer following a vehicle pursuit in Vallejo early Monday morning has been identified by police as 41-year-old Anton Barrett.
The pursuit began shortly after midnight when officers on a DUI saturation patrol saw a white 1999 Lexus driving without its headlights on near the intersection of Santa Clara and Indiana streets, according to police.
The Lexus was speeding and did not stop at controlled intersections, and did not yield when the officers tried to pull over the vehicle, police said.
The Lexus led police on a pursuit and eventually stopped behind an apartment complex in the 200 block of Wilson Avenue, where the driver and two passengers got out and began running away in different directions.
The driver of the car, later identified as Barrett, and an officer encountered each other in between the apartments, and the officer told him to stop and put his hands up, police said.
KCBS' Tim Ryan Reports:
Barrett did not comply and continued running toward the officer, who began backing up and telling him to show his hands, police said.
The officer then saw Barrett allegedly reach into his jacket pocket and pull out a dark-colored metal object, prompting the officer to fire his gun several times, striking Barrett, according to police.
Barrett tried to get up but was immobilized by another officer who used his Taser to subdue him.
He was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek where he succumbed to his injuries at 5:34 a.m.
The front passenger in the car, Barrett's son 18-year-old Anton Barrett Jr., was arrested after running south toward Farragut Avenue and hiding from officers, according to police.
A police canine was used to search for the younger Barrett, who was eventually found hiding in some bushes and suffered some minor injuries from the dog, police said.
The officer handling the canine also suffered bites from the animal. Both the officer and Barrett were taken to hospitals and were later released, and Barrett was then booked into county jail on suspicion of resisting arrest, according to police.
The passenger in the back seat of the Lexus fled north toward Hichborn Street when the car stopped. He has yet to be found or identified, police said.
Vallejo police and the Solano County District Attorney's Office will conduct a joint investigation into the officer-involved shooting. The officer who shot Barrett is a seven-year veteran of the force, and has been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, as is standard department policy.
Investigators planned to discuss the case further at a news conference scheduled for noon at Vallejo police headquarters.
The fatal shooting is the second involving a Vallejo police officer in the past week. Late Thursday night, an armed man, whose name has yet to be released, was shot and killed by an officer in the 2000 block of Sonoma Boulevard, police said.
The investigation into Monday's shooting is ongoing. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call Detectives Mat Mustard or Fabio Rodriguez of the department's major case section at (800) 488-9383.
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