RIVERSIDE: Pursuit Termination After Shots Fired At Police

On Friday evening July 20, 2018 a suspect shot at Hemet Police Officers then fled, leading multiple law enforcement agencies on a wild pursuit throughout Riverside County. The pursuit started around 7:30pm in the City of Hemet after the suspect shot at Officers and ended with the death of the suspect in the City of Riverside. According to Officer Ryan Railsback with the Riverside Police Department, during the pursuit the suspect fired at pursuing Officers on at least two different occasions. The pursuit ended after the suspect, traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of Arlington, crashed into an SUV at Arlington and California avenues. An Officer involved shooting then occurred. According to several witnesses, once the suspect crashed, shots suddenly rang out. A 13 year old girl told LoudLabs News that her Mom told her to get down behind the seats of the car they were riding in. She also said they later crawled out of the car and ran to a nearby building for safety as Police protected them. Another witness said she was just leaving a nearby restaurant when she suddenly got caught in the middle of the shooting. It’s unclear if the suspect took his own life or if he was fatally struck by an Officers bullet. It’s also unclear what led the suspect to shoot at Hemet Police Officers. No civilians were injured during the shooting. No further details were immediately available.