SAN BERNARDINO, California -- A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy was ambushed while attempting to make a traffic stop Tuesday afternoon and his cruiser was torched.
Officials said that the deputy attempted to pull over a BMW around 4:14 p.m. near Waterman Avenue and Olive Street when he was ambushed after rounding a corner in pursuit of a white vehicle when the suspect began firing dozens of rounds at his cruiser, according to KCBS-TV.
“Our deputy’s on the ground. They immediately start treating him with first aid and load him up into a car,” San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said during a press conference. “I visited with the deputy myself. He’s in good spirits. He’s coherent and talking and surrounded by his family."The 27-year-old deputy, a 4-year veteran of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, was fortunately able to escape the attack with what appear to be minor injuries including superficial injuries to his face and shrapnel in his arm.
Investigators are working to confirm what ignited the fire that destroyed the deputy’s vehicle, but it very well could have been the barrage of bullets, most of which, if not all, missed the deputy.
The shooting suspect took off after the ambush and authorities searched the neighborhood for four hours trying to find him.
Authorities have not yet released why the deputy was attempting to stop the BMW or what the suspect may have been running from.
The suspected shooter is described as a white male in his 20s wearing a white shirt and red hat. He is believed to be driving a white BMW 3 series.
