Deputy Shoots Suspect After 80-Mile Chase

A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy on Thursday shot a South Gate man who allegedly tried to drive over the officer after a chase from San Bernardino to Diamond Bar.

Richard Rodriguez, 42, was booked for assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer after the 80-mile pursuit. The incident began shortly after 3 a.m. when Rodriguez’s estranged wife called San Bernardino police, said San Bernardino Police Department spokeswoman Sherrie Guerrero.

As officers arrived, Rodriguez drove away, Guerrero said, adding that the woman had shown officers a restraining order against Rodriguez. Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies joined the chase once it entered their jurisdiction, said spokeswoman Irma Becerra. They stopped the truck three times, but each time the driver sped off, she said.

“The man turned his truck around and drove toward a deputy who had left his car and was standing on the street,” Becerra said. “The deputy, fearing he was about to be run over, fired one round.”