Gunman who fired several shots at San Jacinto, Calif., officer sought

Authorities were looking Monday for a man who fired multiple shots at a San Jacinto, Calif., police officer, striking his patrol car.

The officer was uninjured in Saturday’s shooting, but his patrol car was pierced by the gunfire and was disabled, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The shooting started after 9:15 p.m. when the officer was stopped by a resident who reported that someone had just pointed a firearm at him in the 1200 block of De Anza Drive. The resident pointed at a passing vehicle, which matched the description in an earlier carjacking report.

The officer tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver fired multiple gunshots at his patrol car, sheriff’s officials said. He tried to follow the vehicle, but his patrol car stopped running.

The gunman’s vehicle continued driving until it crashed into a home two blocks away on Savory Road. He ran away from the crash and was able to escape police.

Authorities say a high-powered assault rifle was used in the shooting. They recovered a similar weapon outside a home near the collision.

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