Suspected carjacker ID’d after being shot dead by LQ police following pursuit

8/12 Update:

The suspect who was killed on July 28 in an officer-involved shooting in La Quinta, after he lead authorities on a pursuit that continued over 90 miles along I-10, has now been identified by authorities.

Fifteen days after the three-hour pursuit through the Coachella Valley, authorities identified the suspect as 47-year-old Jeffrey Smith of Riverside.

The pursuit began after officers from the Jurupa Valley Police Department responded to a reported carjacking near the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Crestmore Road in Jurupa Valley.

According to the Central Homicide Unit’s release, at 3:50 p.m. two female victims reported a black man approached them, told them he had a gun, and threatened to shoot them both if they didn’t get out of the car. They exited the car and weren’t hurt.

Officers in the area at the time arrived on scene, but Smith wouldn’t get out of the car. A pepper ball launcher was used but the suspect stole the car and began driving on I-10 through San Bernardino, and back through Riverside County.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department began leading the investigation when the Smith entered Palm Desert. Officers ended up using a spike strip in La Quinta, which ended up puncturing all four of the stolen car’s tires.

Smith continued driving on the car’s rims at a sluggish rate, eventually coming to a rest on Jefferson Street, south of Avenue 52. Riverside County SWAT tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t surrender and continued to stay in the car.

According to the release, when Smith ended up getting out of the car at about 7 p.m., he continued to refuse commands and officers used a K9 and fired bean bag shotgun rounds, which had no effect on the Smith. That’s when the officer-involved shooting occurred.

Officers called paramedics to the scene where Smith was pronounced deceased. Smith was identified after authorities notified his next of kin. No officers or citizens were injured during the pursuit or during the officer-involved shooting, authorities said in the release.

The officer was placed on administrative leave, per department policy, and the officer’s name won’t be released at this time. Investigators with the Central Homicide Unit are handling the investigation.

Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to call Central Homicide Investigator Alfaro at (760) 393-3528 or Investigator Burgie at (760) 863-8990.

July 28th: 90-mile pursuit ends with officer-involved shooting

A pursuit that started in Jurupa Valley continued over 90 miles along the I-10 through Beaumont and into Palm Desert before it ended in La Quinta, where the man was shot and killed by police.

At one point, the chase went through the city’s El Paseo shopping district, and minutes later progressed into the Von’s shopping center at the corner of Highway 111 and Washington Street.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s department tells us the suspect carjacked a vehicle and took off in the car alone. The two women who were in the car report he had a gun.

The high speed chase reached speeds of over 90 miles an hour and was handed over to California Highway Patrol at one point.

When it continued down Highway 111 through Indian Wells and into La Quinta, it slowed to 40 miles an hour as witnesses reported the man’s vehicle was traveling on four flat tires.

The scene where the chase ended is still active. Jefferson south of Avenue 52 is closed in both directions.