CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Authorities are investigating a Wednesday morning incident in which an officer fired at – but did not appear to have hit – a vehicle that attempted to run him over.
Sgt. Tim Hobbs of the Clearlake Police Department said the situation that led to the shooting began at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday.
A Clearlake Police officer – whose name currently is being withheld – was on foot patrol in the area of Mint Street and Oregon Avenue looking for stolen vehicles and attempting to contact two subjects walking into the wooded area, Hobbs said.
Hobbs said the officer, who was wearing a distinct patrol uniform, was walking on a narrow trail when a previously reported stolen vehicle backed out of the brush and onto the trail in front of him.
The vehicle rapidly accelerated at the officer, who was only a short distance away. Fearing for his safety, the officer fired his handgun at the vehicle while he was running to get out of the path of the vehicle, Hobbs said.
The officer jumped out of the vehicle's path just before it was about to hit him. Hobbs said the vehicle fled the area, but was later located abandoned in a vacant lot.
At this time, it does not appear the driver of the vehicle was shot, Hobbs said.
Hobbs said the officer sustained an injury to his shoulder as a result of landing on the ground, when he jumped out of the vehicles way. The officer was later treated and released from the hospital.
Based on Clearlake Police alerts to the community, people in the surrounding areas were told to shelter in place for about an hour as additional law enforcement was responding to the scene a short time later. Pomo School also was reported to have been placed on a short-term lockdown.
The officer-involved shooting is being investigated by the Lake County District Attorney’s Office. This case is still under investigation, and further details are not available to be released at this time, Hobbs said.
Hobbs said the officer involved in this incident has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation per department protocol.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Sgt. Hobbs at the Clearlake Police Department at 707-994-8251 or the Lake County District Attorney’s Office at 707-263-2251.
Clearlake Police officer shoots at vehicle that attempted to hit him
- Lake County News reports
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