Barricaded Man Killed In Gunfight With Hemet Police

HEMET, CA — A traffic stop in Hemet over the weekend turned into a deadly encounter after the man police tried to pull over ran from them, barricaded himself in someone's apartment and then shot at officers, officials said Monday.

It all began when a patrol officer attempted to pull over a vehicle at 9 a.m. Sunday in the 200 block of South Yale Street, Hemet Police Lt. Jeff Davis said. However, the driver of the vehicle ignored the command and continued to drive to the parking lot of an apartment complex, where the vehicle stopped and a passenger ran out, he said.

"Immediately after stopping, a passenger of the vehicle fled on foot and a Hemet Police Officer gave chase," Davis said in a news release. "During this foot pursuit, the suspect fired a gun at the pursuing officer."

The officer "lost sight of the subject," so police set up a perimeter around the entire complex and began searching for the man, Davis said.

"During the search, officers learned that the suspect was hiding in the bathroom of an apartment that did not belong to him," Davis said. "As officers approached that location the suspect began to fire multiple bullets at the officers and an officer involved shooting occurred."

The man, who was not immediately identified, died at the scene, according to Davis.

No officers were injured during the encounter, and an investigation is ongoing.

— City News Service contributed to this report / Patch file photo by Renee Schiavon