Officer Struggling With Suspect in Street Is Hit, Killed by Motorist
A San Bernardino police officer was killed when he and a suspect were struck by a car as they struggled in the street, authorities said Sunday.
Officer Robert Shultis, 34, was pronounced dead at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, about 35 minutes after he was hit in the 2700 block of North Arrowhead Avenue, Police Sgt. Dan Malone said.
Police were still trying to confirm the identity of the suspect injured in the accident. The man was listed in critical condition Sunday at San Bernardino County Medical Center, where he and Shultis were taken after being struck by a car driven by an 18-year-old woman.
Malone said no charges were filed against the motorist, who stopped at the scene of the accident.
He said the incident began with a traffic stop, and that Shultis was arresting the man on a narcotics charge when he tried to break free. The ensuing struggle led them into the street, Malone said.
A second person in the car was questioned by investigators and released, Malone said. Investigations by the department’s traffic and homicide divisions are continuing, he said.
An off-duty San Bernardino firefighter driving behind the woman summoned paramedics after the accident.
Shultis, a native of New York state, was a five-year veteran of the department, Malone said.
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