LOS ANGELES, CA – Police officers in Brea fatally shot a suspected DUI driver during a confrontation on Thanksgiving afternoon, authorities said.
The incident occurred shortly before 4:45 p.m. near Lambert Road and the 57 Freeway. According to the Brea Police Department, officers were alerted to a possible DUI driver and located a vehicle “up against a retaining wall” in the westbound lanes of Lambert, east of the freeway.
“Officers made contact with the driver, and a short time later, an officer-involved shooting occurred,” the department stated in a release.
The driver was transported to a local hospital, where medical staff pronounced him dead.
Authorities have not disclosed the events leading up to the shooting or what caused the officers to open fire. Reports from witnesses suggested the driver may have intentionally rammed police vehicles, but the Brea Police Department did not confirm those details in its release.
The identity of the deceased has not been released.
According to the police, private video footage from the scene shows the suspect’s SUV wedged between two squad cars, with a visible bullet hole in the driver’s side window.
As per protocol, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting.
Anyone with information about the incident or who witnessed the shooting is urged to contact the OCDA at 714-664-3964.
Further details have not been made available as the investigation continues.
