No one hit in Azusa officer-involved shooting
AZUSA -- Police shot at, but missed, an allegedly drunken man who crashed his SUV into several homes and a garage, authorities said.
The shooting took place about 4:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of Pine Needle Court, near West Annandale Lane, Azusa police Lt. Frank Chavez.
Though not struck by gunfire, the man was taken to a hospital for examination at the recommendation of paramedics, the lieutenant said. His name was not available Wednesday afternoon pending booking.
Police noticed the man driving erratically and crashing prior to contacting him, officials said. He struck about three condominiums before crashing through the garage door.
Two police officers then "perceived a threat," Chavez said. "Several rounds were fired."
It was not clear how many shots were fired by each officer, however no one was injured by the gunfire.
Further details regarding the circumstances of the shooting were not available as the involved officers had not been thoroughly interviewed, Chavez said.
"There's not a whole lot of details at this point," he said.
The driver was expected to be booked on suspicion of drunken driving and resisting police officers, officials said.
An empty bottle of tequila at the scene was marked off by police, however it wasn't clear if the bottle was believed to have belonged to the driver.
Shelley Harrell, who lives in a condominium struck by the SUV, described a frightening experience.
"I felt the whole house shake, it scared me to death and I didn't really know what happened," she said.
Joshua Normington, a 16-year-old resident of another condominium struck by the SUV, said he heard "tires screeching and then heard a big crash. I went outside and saw a big hole in the corner house."
He said he then went outside and heard three to four gunshots fired.
Normington described the driver as a quiet man who had lived on the street for more than 10 years. He keeps mostly to himself and speaks primarily Spanish.
CONTRIBUTORS
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| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
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Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
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