Officer-Involved Shooting Shuts Down I-10 East

Eastbound Interstate 10 was reopened in Banning about 3:15 a.m. Friday after a seven-hour investigation of an officer-involved shooting that occurred on the freeway at the end of a pursuit.

The chase began at 7:38 p.m. Thursday on eastbound state Route 60, west of the junction with I-10, when a deputy spotted a vehicle with one shredded tire “driving on the rim” in an erratic manner, Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Herlinda Valenzuela said early Friday.

The driver refused to stop and led law enforcement on a chase, and the California Highway Patrol was called in to help, Valenzuela said.

The chase ended on the eastbound 10, just east of 22nd Street.

Witnesses told News Channel 3 the driver got out of the car, refused to put down his weapon and opened fire on police. Law enforcement returned fire, hitting the driver.

“There’s probably a good 20 shots at least,” said Vance Harper, a witness. “We all took cover, started ducking, trying to keep everybody safe.”

None of the officers was injured. Authorities were investigating why the driver wouldn’t stop.

Traffic along the interstate was closed for several hours.