Officer Involved Shooting On Friday, December 19, 2014, at about 2:00 PM, officers from the Murrieta Police Department received a call of a bank robbery at the First Citizens Bank, located on the 41500 block of Ivy Street in the city of Murrieta. Shortly thereafter, officers from the Murrieta Police Department observed the suspect vehicle driving in the area of Elm Street and Jefferson Avenue at a high rate of speed. Attempts were made to conduct a traffic enforcement stop but the driver of the vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit ensued. During the pursuit a spike strip was deployed by the Murrieta Police Department disabling the vehicles rear tire. The pursuit continued into the city of Temecula where the suspect purposely drove toward a pursuing police vehicle driven by a Murrieta police detective. The suspect collided into the driver’s side door, injuring the detective. Subsequent to the collision, the pursuit ended in the 43500 block of Ridge Park Drive where the suspect’s vehicle came to a complete stop. The driver of the vehicle immediately exited his vehicle and an officer involved shooting occurred. Both suspects were taken into custody and the driver of the vehicle was treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. A Murrieta Police detective was also treated at a local hospital for an injury suffered during the vehicle collision that occurred during the pursuit. No other officers or citizens were injured during this incident. The Murrieta Police Department requested the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to conduct an independent investigation. Investigators from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Central Homicide Unit responded to the location and assumed the investigation. The involved officer has been placed on administrative leave per Department policy. The involved officer’s name is not being released at this time. 30-year-old, La Mesa resident Thomas Ferguson was arrested and booked into the Southwest Detention Center for armed robbery. 51-year-old, Chula Vista resident Duane Bowen was arrested and booked into a Riverside County Medical Detention Care Facility for robbery, conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon, and felony evading. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is encouraging anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact Investigator Stites of the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 21:09:25 +0000
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