A suspect who allegedly fired shots at Banning police during a traffic stop was fatally shot Thursday following a pursuit that ended on an Interstate 10 freeway off-ramp in Palm Springs.
According to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Albert Martinez, the pursuit began around 12:20 AM when the suspect allegedly shot at Banning police officers during a traffic stop on State Route 243, disabling the officers’ vehicle.
The suspect then fled in an older-model green station wagon, ultimately heading east on Interstate 10, prompting a pursuit that included officers from the Banning, Beaumont, and Palm Springs police departments and the sheriff’s department, Martinez said. The driver allegedly fired at officers several times during the pursuit, which ended when the suspect exited the freeway and came to a stop on the North Indian Canyon Drive off-ramp, where a shooting occurred involving the suspect and pursuing authorities, Martinez said.
Details of the shooting were not released, and it was unclear if the suspect opened fire on authorities and which officers or deputies may have fired at the suspect.
A standoff ensued, with the armed suspect still in the car and sheriff’s deputies and Palm Springs police deploying armored vehicles to the scene. Eventually, authorities approached the vehicle and found the suspect dead inside, along with a rifle, according to the sheriff’s department.
No deputies or officers were injured.
According to Martinez, all deputies and officers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave per their respective department’s policies.
The identity of the suspect was withheld pending notification of relatives.
Eastbound I-10 between State Route 62 and Indian Canyon Drive and State Route 243 from Twin Pines to Smith Creek was temporarily closed due to the pursuit, according to Caltrans.
One lane of I-10 eastbound from Garnet Road to Indian Canyon and the Indian Canyon Drive off-ramp remained closed as of early afternoon.
