San Bernardino traffic stop turns deadly after man drives off with officer in car
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SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - San Bernardino Police officers shot and killed a man after a wild traffic stop in the city earlier this week.
Officers tried to pull over Albert Jose Rodriguez Jr., a known gang member, around 9 a.m. on Nov. 7, along W. 7th Street. Police said that during the stop Rodriguez didn't cooperate with officers' commands to get out of the car and to stop reaching into his shirt.
That's when officers tried to pull him out of the car, and they got into a struggle with Rodriguez and Rodriguez tried to drive off, SBPD said.
One officer reached into the car through the passenger's side window and tried to turn off the car and unbuckle Rodriguez's seat belt, but Rodriguez was eventually able to drive off with the officer inside his car. Then, police said Rodriguez reached for a gun inside his shirt, and that's when the officer shot him. The officer then had to steer the still-moving car to keep it from hitting others.
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Once the car stopped, officers pulled Rodriguez out of the car, took away the gun, and gave him medical attention. Paramedics later took Rodriguez to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
After the shooting, officers said they found drugs in the car.
The San Bernardino Police Department is still investigating the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 909-384-5640.