A man was fatally shot by law enforcement officers after he drove his car into a field near Castroville, the Monterey County sheriff’s office said.
The shooting occurred around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
The man had been driving a car that reportedly matched the description of one connected to an attempted murder being investigated by the Salinas police. A California Highway Patrol officer saw the vehicle on Castroville Road (Highway 183) and called for assistance in making a traffic stop.
When the CHP and sheriff’s deputies attempted to pull him over, the man drove off the road into an agricultural field north of Cooper Road.
“For unknown reasons,” the sheriff’s press release said, “the driver exited the vehicle and approached the officers who opened fire striking the driver.”
The driver died of his injuries. A CHP officer also sustained a minor injury, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s statement does not elaborate on why the officers shot the man or address whether he had a weapon. It does say the shooting will be investigated by the California Department of Justice “pursuant to AB 1506” — a law that concerns fatal law enforcement shootings of unarmed people.