BANNING: Firearm-wielding man shot by officer after vehicle pursuit
BANNING — A man who officials say was armed with a firearm is recovering after he was shot by an officer at the end of a vehicle pursuit, Thursday, June 28. The shooting happened at Old Idyllwild Rd. and San Gorgonio Ave. in Banning.
The alleged suspect suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive, and Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit investigators are now investigating the shooting.
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The incident began shortly after 5 p.m., when Beaumont police officers attempted to conduct a traffic enforcement stop at Highland Springs Avenue and Sun Lakes Boulevard in the City of Banning, according to Beaumont PD officials.
The driver of the vehicle, who has not yet been identified, refused to yield and officers initiated a vehicle pursuit.
The vehicle pursuit traveled about 6 miles through Banning, where the alleged suspect came to a stop at Old Idyllwild Road and San Gorgonio Avenue, near the Banning Stagecoach KOA campground.
“The driver exited the vehicle armed with a firearm and an officer involved shooting occurred,” Beaumont PD explained in a social media release after the incident. “The suspect was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”
Officials have not specified the type of firearm the alleged suspect was holding, how many rounds the officer fired, or how many times the man was hit by gunfire.
Citing the ongoing investigation, officials have not released the name of the suspect.
After the shooting, Beaumont PD requested Riverside County Sheriff’s Department conduct an independent investigation of the incident and investigators from the Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave per Beaumont PD’s policy and his name will not be released at this time, according to officials.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Investigator Gomez with the Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777. Callers can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 46, recently moved to Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations, including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook, as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and The Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 27 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 14 – soon to be 15 – grandchildren.