Driver shot by CHP officer near I-5 rest area north of Redding had gun

David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight
·1 min read
A firefighter sprays water on a smoldering hillside where a car crashed along northbound Interstate 5 on Thursday afternoon, May 26, 2022, and where there was an officer-involved shooting. The shooting took place near the O'Brien rest area and shut down northbound I-5 for hours.
A firefighter sprays water on a smoldering hillside where a car crashed along northbound Interstate 5 on Thursday afternoon, May 26, 2022, and where there was an officer-involved shooting. The shooting took place near the O'Brien rest area and shut down northbound I-5 for hours.

Investigators have released more details about a police shooting that they now say left one man dead Thursday afternoon on northbound Interstate 5, closing the freeway for several hours.

Redding police Capt. Ron Icely, in statement released Friday, said the man was driving a white sedan when for unknown reasons he crashed into a barrier at the O’Brien rest stop around 1:40 p.m. and then struck a tree, which sparked a small vegetation fire.

Icely said a California Highway Patrol officer was in the area and when he arrived, the officer spoke to a witness who had called the wreck in. Both the officer and the witness attempted to help the man, who was still inside the burning car. But when they got near the car, the officer realized the man had a gun. The man then got out of the burning vehicle.

A car crashed along northbound Interstate 5 on Thursday afternoon, May 26, 2022, where there was an officer-involved shooting. The shooting took place near the O'Brien rest area and shut down northbound I-5 for hours.
A car crashed along northbound Interstate 5 on Thursday afternoon, May 26, 2022, where there was an officer-involved shooting. The shooting took place near the O'Brien rest area and shut down northbound I-5 for hours.

Both the CHP officer and the witness went to the officer’s patrol car to take cover, Icely said.

Icely said the officer told the man numerous times to drop his weapon. The statement does not go into detail about how the man reacted or what he did as the officer ordered him to drop the firearm.

The man "ultimately forced a violent confrontation" that put the officer and witness in danger, Icely said in the statement.

The officer then shot the man, who died at the scene from his injuries, despite efforts to save his life.

Authorities are investigating a crash that happened on Interstate 5 north of Redding. The CHP said there was an officer-involved shooting in the wake of the collision near the O'Brien rest area.
Authorities are investigating a crash that happened on Interstate 5 north of Redding. The CHP said there was an officer-involved shooting in the wake of the collision near the O'Brien rest area.

The CHP officer and the witness were not injured.

The shooting is being investigated by a multi-agency team comprised of the Redding Police Department, Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, Anderson Police Department and the CHP.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Driver shot by CHP officer near I-5 rest north of Redding area had gun