One off-duty Southern California cop in plainclothes was speeding in his own vehicle Sunday morning when another off-duty cop in plainclothes began chasing him in his own vehicle to tell him to slow down.
The cop who was speeding began fearing for his life when the other cop pulled up alongside of him and motioned for him to roll down his window, so he pulled out a gun.
He ended up shooting himself in the torso.
The off-duty Alhambra police officer who was speeding was rushed to the hospital but is expected to survive. The off-duty Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy who began the pursuit said he was only acting out of safety.
But the Alhambra cop said the L.A. sheriff’s deputy drove towards him in “an aggressive manner” which is why he was scared
According to the Los Angeles Times:
According to San Marino police, a second driver, identified as an off-duty sheriff’s deputy, told investigators he thought the man in the Subaru was driving erratically. He wanted to stop the man and ask him not to speed in the neighborhood.
Police said the deputy, who was in a Mercedes-Benz, pulled alongside the other man as both were driving and “attempted to contact the driver,” motioning for the man to lower his window.
The Subaru driver slowed and moved to the right to allow the Mercedes to pass. The Alhambra officer later told investigators that the man in the Mercedes was speeding and that he believed he was driving in an aggressive manner.
“Fearing for his safety, the Alhambra officer drew his firearm while inside his vehicle,” San Marino police said.
San Marino Police Chief John Incontro said the officer accidentally shot himself in the process of pulling out his weapon.
Neither cop knew the other was a cop. And neither cop has been arrested nor have their names been released. San Marino police who initially called it a case of road rage later said it was not a case of road rage, probably after learning the two men were cops.
But from the police description of the incident, it looks like a clear cut case of road rage gone wrong.
