California officer killed in firefight

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A driver stopped by police pulled out a rifle and opened fire, killing a California Highway Patrol officer and wounding two others during a shootout on a freeway overpass that left the gunman dead and sent motorists running for cover.

Officer Andrew Moye Jr., 34, died in the gunfight late Monday afternoon in Riverside, east of Los Angeles. Two civilians suffered minor injuries.

The other officers were both shot in their legs, California Highway Patrol Chief Bill Dance said Tuesday. One was in critical condition and the other was in serious condition, but both are expected to survive, he said.

The gunman was identified by the Riverside County coroner’s office as Aaron Luther, 49. Authorities said he had a criminal record that included an attempted murder conviction in 1994.

Moye had pulled over a pickup and was doing paperwork to impound it when Luther, who was outside the vehicle, reached into the truck, grabbed a rifle and shot at the officer, fatally wounding him, authorities said. Moye was able to radio for help, and other officers engaged in a “long and horrific gun battle,” Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz said.

Authorities said it was unclear what prompted Luther to open fire.

Luther’s father, Dennis Luther, said he watched the events unfold on television. “I’m devastated. I just can’t believe it,” he said, adding, “So I don’t know what overcame him.”

AP/The Orange County Register/TERRY PIERSON The casket of California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew Moye Jr. is transported to a hearse from the Riverside University Health Systems Medical Center on Monday after he was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Moreno Valley, Calif.