ATF agents shoot and wound man in San Bernardino after he drove car toward law enforcement, police say
Federal authorities conducting a traffic stop in San Bernardino shot and wounded a man Wednesday after he drove a car toward them, officials said.
Law enforcement working on an operation for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tried to stop the driver’s sedan just after 7 p.m. in the parking lot of the Carousel Mall, according to accounts from San Bernardino police and an ATF spokeswoman.
San Bernardino Police Lt. Mike Madden said the driver initially stopped, then tried to drive away. As authorities converged on the car, he tried to evade them by driving toward them, Madden said.
“Then officers, fearing for their lives, opened fire,” Madden said. At least two officers shot at the driver, whose sedan smashed into a law enforcement vehicle, he said.
The driver was taken to a hospital, and his current condition was not immediately available. His age and identity were not released.
Two other people were inside the sedan, identified by the Riverside Press-Enterprise as a Mercedes-Benz. The two occupants were not injured by the shooting, Madden said.
Ginger Colbrun, the ATF spokeswoman, confirmed that the shooting occurred during one of the agency’s operations. She said that no ATF personnel were injured and that the investigation was ongoing.
Twitter: @MattHjourno
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