Police fatally shoot man after chasing his vehicle

Danville police responding to a report of a suspicious person shot a man to death Saturday morning on Diablo Road at Front Street.

The shooting occurred in downtown Danville just after 11 a.m., said Geoff Gillette, a city public information officer. Danville police and the Contra Costa County Sheriff ’s Office and district attorney’s office are investigating.

Police were responding to a report of a suspicious person near Cottage Lane and Laurel Drive, and the man, whose identity was not released, fled in a vehicle as police arrived, according to a sheriff ’s statement. Officers chased the man to Front Street and Diablo Road.

When the officers got out of their cars to arrest him, the man “drove straight toward” an officer as if to run him over, Danville Police Chief Allan Shields said at a news conference Saturday. He did not take questions.

“Fearing for his life, our officer fired his weapon toward the vehicle in an attempt to get the driver to stop,” Shields said. The driver was struck and crashed his car. Officers began “immediate life-saving measures” on the suspect, Shields said, and he was transported to a local hospital, where he died.

The officer sustained a minor injury.

Danville officials closed Diablo Road at Front Street for several hours Saturday as investigators examined the scene.