Man killed in deputy-involved shooting on I-10 near Whitewater identified

The Riverside County Coroner's office has identified the man killed in a deputy-involved shooting along Interstate 10 in Whitewater on April 9.

The incident started at around 8:45 a.m. near Whitewater Canyon Road and Whitewater Cutoff when authorities were notified of a man throwing rocks at vehicles.

Sgt. Lionel Murphy, a spokesperson for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, told reporters at the scene that the deputies saw the suspect smashing the window of a parked car with a tire iron. Authorities said the man charged at a deputy with the tire iron before being shot.

The man was identified by the corner's officers as Gabriel Munoz Jr, 40, a resident of Cathedral City. Munoz was pronounced dead at the scene.

The deputy, whose name was withheld, wasn't hurt, Murphy said. The involved deputy was placed on administrative leave per Department policy. The name of the involved deputy has not been released at this time.

The investigation into the shooting lasted several hours, causing massive traffic jams throughout the highway as the westbound side of the I-10 was shut down throughout the process.