Motorcyclist Shot by CHP After Stop

A California Highway Patrol officer shot a motorcyclist in La Mesa on Wednesday after the man fled on foot during a traffic stop, La Mesa police said.

The victim, whose name was withheld by authorities, was in critical condition at Sharp Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman there said. She would only describe the man as being in his mid-20s.

La Mesa police, who are investigating the case, declined to identify either the CHP officer who shot the man or a La Mesa police officer who was accompanying the CHP officer. The CHP had no immediate comment.

The incident began at 3:30 p.m., when the CHP officer stopped the motorcyclist on Baltimore Drive, a La Mesa police spokeswoman said. The man fled on foot into nearby brush, and La Mesa police joined the search, the spokeswoman said.

The suspect was discovered hiding in a boat beneath a tarp, police said, but he refused several police orders to come out. When police attempted to remove him physically, the CHP officer shot the suspect once in the abdomen, according to the police account.