California freeway shootout leaves officer, gunman dead
— A driver LOS ANGELES 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 terrified motorists running for cover.
Officer Andrew Moye, Jr., 34, died in the gunfight as dozens of bullets flew late Monday afternoon in Riverside, east of Los Angeles. Two civilians received minor injuries.
One wounded officer was in critical condition and the other was serious but both are expected to survive, Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback said Tuesday.
The gunman was identified by the Riverside County coroner’s office as Aaron Luther, 49, and authorities say he had a criminal record that included an attempted murder conviction in 1994.
Moye had pulled over a pickup truck and was doing paperwork to impound it when Luther, who was outside the vehicle, reached in, grabbed a rifle and fatally wounded the officer, 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 Moye to stop the truck or for Luther to open fire.
Moye’s flag-draped body was removed from a hospital and placed in a hearse Monday night. Motorcycle officers then led a procession as the hearse was driven to the county coroner’s office.
“I am devastated by the tragedy,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said in a tweet. Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered flags at half-staff Tuesday at the state Capitol.
Relatives said Moye had been with the CHP for about four years.
“He was so kind,” his stepmother, Debbie Howard, told KTVU-TV. “You’re not going to hear one bad word about him. He loved this job.”
The gunfight occurred during the afternoon commute when traffic was heavy.
Jennifer Moctezuma, 31, of Moreno Valley, told the Los Angeles Times she was driving home with her 6-yearold twins when a bullet flew through her front windshield. Charles Childress, 56, a retired Marine also from Moreno Valley, was in the car behind her and led the family as they crawled to the bottom of a bridge to hide.
“He’s my hero,” Moctezuma said.
Luther’s father, Dennis Luther, said he watched the events unfold on television. “It’s hard. I love him. And I’m sorry for the policeman,” he told KABC-TV. “I’m devastated. I just can’t believe it.”
After his truck was impounded, Aaron Luther called his wife to pick him up, his father said. When she arrived, the tow truck was there.
“She said she heard ‘pop, pop, pop’ ... gunfire, and then a bullet went through the windshield of her car,” Dennis Luther said.
Dennis Luther said his son recently seemed depressed, was having knee pain and marital problems but was devoted to his two children and a stepchild.