Police shoot, kill man following domestic violence call and car chase in Tulare County

Police shot and killed a man following a car chase through Tulare County on Saturday.

The man was a suspect in a domestic-violence incident Saturday morning, in which he allegedly choked his girlfriend and put a gun to her head. He was being sought by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and was considered armed and dangerous, according to a statement from the Woodlake Police Department.

Officers spotted the man’s vehicle just before 11 a.m. and attempted to pull him over. This began a pursuit that had to be halted at least once for public safety reasons, police said.

The chase ended when the suspect crashed into another car on Highway 198 at Road 196.

“The suspect failed to comply with the commands given by the officers,” as they approached his vehicle, “ultimately resulting in an officer-involved shooting,” the department said in its statement.

Officers provided life-saving measures and called for emergency medical personnel, who rendered aid before determining the man had died. No officers or bystanders were injured, police said.

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and California Department of Justice were called in to conduct an independent investigation of the incident. The Visalia Police Department will be conducting the administrative portion of the investigation.

The man’s identity had not been released as of Tuesday morning. All investigations are ongoing.

This story was originally published December 20, 2022 at 10:14 AM.