Off-duty cop shoots man in road rage incident

An off-duty police officer shot a man in a Murrieta parking lot Monday during an apparent argument between two motorists.

The incident apparently was sparked by a road rage incident that escalated into an argument between two people, prompting the Hemet officer to intervene, the Murrieta Police Department said in a news release.

The shooting happened shortly after 9 a.m. in a parking lot at 39540 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. When police responded to a report of shots fired, they found a wounded man who had been shot multiple times, authorities said.

The officer, whose name has not been released, remained at the scene with a group of witnesses. Police learned that during the argument, the off-duty officer shot the man, but it is unclear why he opened fire.

Medical assistance was provided to the injured man and he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital in critical condition, police said.

The man was in stable condition on Tuesday.

A handgun was found at the scene and all shots fired were recorded by investigators.

According to KABC news channel, a window was broken during the shooting.

Video footage recorded by witnesses shows a man wearing a baseball cap and a gray shirt pointing a handgun at a man lying on the ground between two vehicles. Witnesses told the news station that the off-duty officer shot the man multiple times and that an imitation handgun was found at the scene that may have belonged to the man who was shot.

In the video, a woman can be seen screaming and crying on the ground as the off-duty officer stands over her with his gun drawn.

The off-duty officer is cooperating with the investigation, which is in its initial stages, according to Murrieta police.

Police will launch a joint investigation with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The county district attorney’s office will also conduct an independent investigation into the shooting.