Calif. Police Fatally Shoot Man in Stolen Car after Dramatic Chase

Aug. 30, 2021
After Fontana police pursued and surrounded a stolen car along Interstate 10, officers opened fire when the 27-year-old driver behind the wheel tried to use the vehicle as a weapon.

A California police department released body camera footage of a fatal shooting last month between officers and a driver following a harrowing chase.

The incident happened July 12 as Fontana police pursued a 22-year-old driver—Larry Mendez—and a woman in a stolen car, KABC-TV reports. Mendez was racing down Interstate 10 when he got off at the Milliken Avenue exit and then tried to make a U-turn back onto the highway.

That's when officers boxed in the car, and Mendez tried to escape by ramming the police cruisers.

"Despite the suspect's vehicle being surrounded by police vehicles, the suspect attempted to use the vehicle as a weapon," the department said in a statement.

In the bodycam video, which was released last week, officers are seen exiting their vehicles, drawing their weapons and approaching Mendez, who was still in the stolen car.

While trying to escape, Mendez nearly ran down the officers. Police then opened fire, wounding Mendez, who was later pronounced dead.

Officers were able to safely pull the woman out of the car's back seat, and a gun was found in the vehicle's front seat. 

The woman and the responding officers were not hurt in the incident.

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