California police officer trapped in vehicle stops while fleeing armed suspect

A California police officer trapped in a moving vehicle fatally shot an armed suspect who tried to flee a traffic stop last week.

The incident happened shortly after 9:15 a.m. Thursday when San Bernardino police stopped a vehicle for multiple violations. KTLA-TV reports. During the stop, the driver refused to get out of his vehicle and continued to try to reach for a gun tucked into his shirt.

Police tried to pull the suspect out of the car and the man began fighting with officers. As an officer leaned against the passenger side window, the man drove away.

The officer tried to release the driver and turn off the ignition. The suspect reached for his gun in his shirt and the officer trapped in the car opened fire, fatally wounding the suspect.

“Following the shooting, the officer had to take control of the still-moving vehicle and move it to safety to prevent it from colliding with other motorists on the roadway,” the department said in a news release.

The suspect, a documented gang member with an extensive criminal record, was taken to the hospital where he later died. Police seized a firearm and “a quantity of suspected narcotics.”

The officer who was not trapped in the car was injured in the incident. No details have been released about the nature of the injuries or the officer’s condition.