Off-duty Hemet police officer shoots man after apparently intervening in driving aggression incident in Murrieta

MURRIETA, Calif. (KABC) — An off-duty Hemet police officer intervened in a driving rage incident and shot a man who allegedly had a replica firearm, authorities said.

The shooting occurred around 9:15 a.m. Monday in the parking lot of a shopping center near Margarita and Murrieta Hot Springs roads.

The injured man was taken to hospital in critical condition after being shot multiple times, police said.

“It appears the off-duty officer witnessed an incident of road rage that he was not involved in, and shortly thereafter the officer-involved shooting occurred,” said Murrieta police Lt. Miguel Garcia. “Officers recovered a firearm at the scene and the officer is cooperating with the investigation.”

Marguerite Walters described hearing several gunshots. Her son filmed her as she approached the injured man to help him.

“I examined him and found out his name,” Walters said. “He couldn't speak.”

The footage shows the injured man lying on the ground next to a car while the off-duty police officer has his gun drawn. A woman can be heard screaming in despair in the video.

Murrieta police said the firearm seized was a replica and belonged to the man who was shot.

The details of this incident are unclear. It is also not known what prompted the off-duty officer to open fire.

Witnesses told Eyewitness News that the off-duty officer intervened when he came out of a gym and saw two other men arguing.

Witness statements indicate that the off-duty officer stated that the man was pointing a replica firearm at someone.

“When we stopped to see what was going on, I heard him say, 'You can't just point guns at people,'” Walters said. “But by that point, the shots had already been fired.”

A multi-agency investigation is currently underway.