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California police officer killed, 2 others hurt in shootout near freeway; suspect also dead

By Michelle Ewing, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
By Michelle Ewing, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A shootout near a freeway has left one California Highway Patrol officer dead and two officers hurt, authorities said late Monday.

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The suspected gunman also was killed in the incident, which occurred off Interstate 215 in Riverside, according to the Los Angeles Times.

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Corrections officials said the gunman who fatally shot a California Highway Patrol Officer and wounded two others served 10 years in prison for attempted murder and other felonies.

Jeffrey Callison, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said Aaron Luther began his prison sentence in 1994 and was paroled in April 2004.

Callison says Luther was sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempted second-degree murder and an enhancement for the use of a firearm, as well as burglary charges.

Court records show Luther was arrested in 2007 on felony assault charges and took a no-contest plea deal that sentenced him to 90 days in jail. He also was arrested in 2017 on suspicion of driving while his license was suspended or revoked, records show.

Luther, armed with a rifle, opened fire after a CHP officer pulled him over about 5:30 p.m. and decided to impound his vehicle, a white GMC truck, CHP Assistant Chief Scott Parker said in a Monday night news conference.  The officer, who was fatally struck, reportedly called other officers to the scene before he died.

Two officers were injured, one critically, and Luther was killed while exchanging fire, Parker said. Two civilians also sustained "mostly superficial-type injuries" and are expected to be OK, he added.

Police haven't identified a motive.

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Authorities identified the slain officer as 34-year-old Andre Moye, the Times reported.

CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley tweeted late Monday that he was "devastated" to learn of Moye's death.

"Tonight, I mourn the loss of one of our own, CHP Officer Andre Moye, who was killed during a shootout following a traffic stop," Stanley wrote. "Prayers go out to all, including the responding officers injured in the shooting."

>> See the tweet here

California Gov. Gavin Newsom echoed the sentiment.

"Our hearts ache over the tragic loss of @CHP_HQ's own Officer Andre Moye – who will be remembered for his commitment to service and the community of Riverside County," Newsom wrote.

>> See the tweet here

The Riverside Police Department is investigating the incident, authorities said.

Read more here.

 

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