Suspect at-large in officer shooting

A routine traffic stop turned into anything but routine when a San Bernardino Sheriff’s Deputy was fired upon on Tuesday resulting in injuries to the officer.  The offenders vehicle has since has been recovered but a suspect has not been identified and is still at large.

The deputy was driving through San Bernardino by himself when he went to perform a traffic stop according to San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department dispatchers.  Moments later he returned to the radio and said that there had been shots fired and he had been hit.

When emergency responders reached the scene the sheriff’s vehicle was on fire and had to be extinguished.  It is unknown at this time what caused the fire.  The deputy was transported to an area hospital and treated for shrapnel injuries to his arms and superficial wounds to his face.  The officer is in stable condition at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton.

According to San Bernardino Police Department sources a large number of shots were fired at the vehicle.  According to witness accounts the number of shots was between 30 and 50 and it “sounded like a rifle.”

“It sounds like this perpetrator had a large capacity magazine and a semi-automatic or illegal machine gun style weapon and opened fire almost immediately and the sheriff deputy took shelter in the vehicle likely saving his life,” according to a firearms and use of force expert locally who wished to remain anonymous.  “The vehicle fire was likely caused by a round or sound striking a part of the engine that then caught fire.”