California’s Justice Department will investigate the fatal police shooting of an armed robbery suspect who led authorities on a chase in Orange County Friday, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced.
The pursuit began shortly after 1 a.m. Friday when the Fullerton Police Department located a man wanted in connection with a robbery at gunpoint in San Bernardino, officials said.
Officers tried to pull over the man’s Ford Explorer at Harbor Boulevard and West Chapman Avenue, but he fled, police said.
After the pursuit entered La Habra, the SUV crashed into a black BMW at Imperial Highway and South Beach Boulevard, causing the Explorer to flip over and burst into flames.
The man then got out of the SUV, at which point he was shot by officers an unknown number of times, authorities said. He was declared dead at the scene.
The driver of the BMW was hospitalized with minor injuries.
Police have not said what prompted officers to open fire, but police say they recovered a knife at the scene.
