An 18-year-old man was shot and killed by a Santa Ana police officer Wednesday night after getting out of his car at the end of a brief pursuit and reaching down to pick up a gun he had dropped, authorities said.
Victor Lopez’s 19-year-old girlfriend and their 1-year-old child were in the car, but were not injured, said Officer Natalie Garcia, a Santa Ana police spokeswoman.
About 10:30 p.m., an officer attempted to stop the man’s car in downtown Santa Ana, Garcia said. There was a “very short pursuit,” she said, and then he stopped in the parking garage of an apartment complex near Third and French streets.
Why the officer attempted to pull over the car was unclear.
The man got out and put his hands up, Garcia said, but in the process a firearm fell to the ground.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member