CHP officers in shooting IDd

The three California Highway Patrol officers who fatally shot a man they said was waving a handgun on Highway 101 in San Mateo last week were identified Friday.

The officers involved in the April 28 shooting of a 25-year-old man from San Jose were identified as Stephanie Combs, Andrew GomezSchillaci and Eric Lovejoy, CHP officials said.

In keeping with department protocol, the three officers were placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is being investigated, said Officer Art Montiel, a spokesman for the CHP’s Redwood City division.

The man who was killed was identified by the San Mateo County coroner’s office as Luis Fernando Pacheco.

The shooting erupted after CHP officers responded to reports of a car crash. When they arrived on scene, they spotted Pacheco armed with a handgun and tried to carjack a 55-yearold East Bay woman, officials said.

Pacheco was waving a gun and refused orders to drop the weapon, prompting the officers to open fire, officials said.

No officers were injured in the incident that backed up traffic on Highway 101 for miles as investigators probed the scene and collected evidence.

The officer-involved shooting is under investigation by the San Mateo County district attorney’s office and the San Mateo Police Department.

“Our officers routinely place themselves directly in harm’s way to protect our communities and the use of force is always a last resort,” Capt. Jim Allen, commander of the Redwood City CHP division, said in a statement.

Officials said Combs has been a member of the CHP for about a year, Lovejoy has been with the department for three years, and Gomez-Schillaci joined the force 18 months ago.