Man Killed by Police After Televised Chase Is Identified
The San Diego County medical examiner’s office released the name Saturday of the man who led authorities on a three-hour freeway chase and was shot and killed after he brandished a gun as television stations broadcast the scene live.
Michael Thayer, 49, of Riverside died as a result of “multiple gunshot wounds,” a spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office said.
The chase through four counties began at 6:45 a.m. Friday in Rancho Cucamonga after a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy attempted a traffic stop when he spotted an expired tag on Thayer’s car.
The chase reached speeds of more than 90 mph as Thayer used four freeways to speed through the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego.
The chase eventually came to an end on Interstate 805 after Thayer’s car rolled to a stop with a tire punctured by a spike strip placed in the roadway by the California Highway Patrol.
Thayer got out of the car, took a step toward officers and appeared to be talking to them as he leveled a gun at them.
Officers repeatedly demanded that he drop the gun, but he refused. He was then struck by several bullets.
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