The woman who was fatally shot by Escondido police following a pursuit on a San Diego freeway Friday was unarmed, prompting the California Department of Justice to begin a criminal investigation according to Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Under AB 1506, the DOJ is required to investigate all shootings involving law enforcement that result in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state.
The announcement by Bonta on Saturday was the first indication that the woman died and that she was unarmed.
The incident led to the closure of several lanes of the freeway along the 15 at the 163 interchange that caused a backup of traffic for several hours Friday evening. The freeway lanes along the southbound 15 remained shutdown till 11 a.m. Saturday due to the investigation.
The shooting took place around 5 p.m. Friday on Interstate 15 near State Route 163 in the Miramar area of northern San Diego, according to the Escondido Police.
It happened after a police pursuit that began at about 4 p.m. in Escondidoy and ended in a collision on the southbound side of the freeway.
At some point, police opened fire on the vehicle, and the woman was rushed to a hospital by paramedics according to Escondido Police.
No other injuries were reported and police did not release further details of the incident, including how the pursuit began.
The woman’s identity had not yet been released.
(Photo reporting partner 10News)