Man Wounded by CHP During Stop Is Identified

A man shot and wounded by California Highway Patrol officers after allegedly waving a handgun during a traffic stop was identified Wednesday as Felipe Verde Lopez, 20, of Santa Ana.

Lopez was listed in good condition Wednesday at the jail ward of UCI Medical Center in Orange and will be jailed on suspicion of attempted murder when he recovers, Anaheim Police Sgt. Joe Vargas said.

Lopez was pulled over early Monday on the Santa Ana Freeway in Anaheim by a pair of CHP officers for an unspecified traffic violation, Vargas said. Lopez allegedly sprang from the car with a handgun, and the officers retreated and opened fire. It is not clear if Lopez also fired his weapon, Vargas said.

“And we still don’t know what his motivation was,” Vargas said. “He couldn’t even answer that during the interview. There are some indications that he might be under the influence of a controlled substance, and we’re waiting for the toxicology results.”