CHP officer injured as they try to clear transient from encampment
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - The 605 freeway was shut down for hours, after a man in a tent off the Katella southbound onramp, shot at CHP officers... hitting one in the face.
They were working with a Caltrans team that was cleaning up the brushy area when they made contact with the man and an "officer involved shooting” happened, say CHP Public information officers.
The Orange County DA is investigating the incident.
The suspect was pronounced dead hours after he was accused of firing shots at workers and officers.
The gunfire caused temporary freeway closures due to an hours-long standoff as traffic was diverted from the scene.
Officers we talked to say they get training to deal with mental health issues that people may be dealing with, something that seems to be more common as they deal with homeless populations living alongside the freeway.
RELATED: Suspect who shot at officers on 605 Freeway dead after hours-long standoff
“We are careful, all the time” says one officer who did not want his named used, “just wearing a uniform these days makes you a target for some people, but it’s even more difficult when someone is hiding in thick brush, inside an encampment”.
It will be the coroner who will confirm if the suspect was killed by a CHP bullet or perhaps shot himself after the initial incident. The CHP officer who was injured is expected to make a full recovery.