Dashcam: Driver in High-Speed Chase Shot after Pulling Gun on Calif. LEOs

By John Holland

Source The Modesto Bee

Video released Tuesday shows the March 12 fatal shooting of a suspect by two law enforcement officers in Tuolumne County.

Fred Westmoreland, 51, died after a high-speed pursuit from Twain Harte to East Sonora, the Sheriff's Office previously reported. He was pointing a revolver toward the officers when they both fired at him, the office said in a 13-minute compilation of images posted on the department's Facebook page.

The moment of the shooting is captured by a camera inside the car driven by a California Highway Patrol officer who assisted a sheriff's deputy at the end of the pursuit. It happened at about 7:30 p.m. on a driveway off Edgemont Acres Road, just south of Highway 108.

Shots were fired by Deputy Niccoli Sandelin, according to the Sheriff's Office, and by the CHP officer, whose name was not available Wednesday. Their actions are still under investigation by their agencies and the Tuolumne County District Attorney's Office.

The video and earlier news releases provided these details:

A 9-1-1 call came in just after 7 p.m. about an intoxicated man whose vehicle ran up against the 7-Eleven store in Twain Harte. Firefighters were on the scene first and called for deputies because the driver was trying to leave and had a gun.

Witnesses reported that the suspect vehicle traveled west on 108 with no headlights on and ran two other vehicles off the highway. No injuries were reported. Deputies tried to stop Westmoreland near Mono Way and Christie Way, but he continued on, reaching speeds up to 95 mph.

Westmoreland got out of his vehicle at the end of the pursuit, as did Sandelin. The deputy saw an apparent gun and ran to take shelter behind the CHP car. The officers told the suspect to show his hands.

Westmoreland was in the background of the patrol car video as he moved the gun side to side. The officers fired several shots quickly, and the suspect collapsed. He was pronounced dead after emergency medical workers arrived at the scene.

Investigators found a .22-caliber revolver used by Westmoreland, with two live rounds of ammunition and four spent casings. Three other loaded guns were found in his vehicle: a 12-gauge shotgun, a 30-06 bolt-action rifle and a .410 shotgun with a sawed-off barrel.

Investigators also recovered marijuana and methamphetamine from the suspect vehicle.

"We at the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office consider any loss of life a tragedy," said an email about the video. "Please be mindful of the people involved, their family members and the total circumstances surrounding this event."

___

Visit The Modesto Bee (Modesto, Calif.) at www.modbee.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.