Officer Fires Shots in Traffic Incident
An off-duty Escondido police officer shot at another motorist Saturday after the other person appeared to be trying to ram the officer’s personal car, the Escondido Police Department reported.
The unidentified suspect apparently was not struck and drove off in his car, according to Escondido Police Sgt. Ken Burkett.
He said the incident began about 2:15 p.m. when Officer Dennis Bailey, in plain clothes, was driving to work, northbound on Centre City Parkway as it forms from the off-ramp from Interstate 15.
Bailey noticed another motorist in front of him as he approached Citracado Avenue “driving erratically,” Burkett said.
“The suspect’s vehicle suddenly drove across the center divider and drove the wrong way in the traffic lanes” of southbound Centre City Parkway, Burkett said.
“The driver of the suspect vehicle looked at the officer and suddenly accelerated towards the officer’s vehicle,” Burkett said. Bailey “anticipated being rammed by the suspect vehicle and fired his weapon at the suspect, who then drove southbound onto the freeway.”
Bailey described the vehicle as an oxidized 1980 brown import car with California license plates.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
