Deputy killed; suspect arrested following pursuit in Southern California

A sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call in the Los Angeles area, according to officials. The suspect was later arrested after an off-duty deputy intervened during a high-speed pursuit, causing his motorcycle to crash.

The incident began shortly after 12:30 p.m. Monday when deputies responded to reports of an armed man threatening a woman in Rancho Cucamonga, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

As deputies arrived, the suspect opened fire, striking Deputy Andrew Nuñez, a six-year veteran of the department who served in Rancho Cucamonga. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:13 p.m. from a gunshot wound to the head, Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a press briefing.

After the shooting, the suspect fled on a motorcycle, leading deputies on a pursuit along the 210 Freeway before crashing near Campus Avenue at around 1:35 p.m. He was taken into custody and hospitalized with injuries.

Sheriff Dicus said the pursuit ended when an off-duty deputy, who had joined the chase, performed a “legal intervention” that caused the motorcycle to go down.

Dicus described Nuñez as a dedicated deputy, husband, and father, noting that he leaves behind his wife, their two-year-old daughter, and an unborn child.

“We are embedded in sorrow,” Dicus said. “Unfortunately for our department, this has happened way too often.”

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities said they are waiting to interview the suspect, who remains hospitalized in stable condition.

Rancho Cucamonga is a suburban city located about 40 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.