Sad case, but, another case of the police having to use lethal force to stop someone from killing many people.
The Story via VCSTAR.COM: (H/T Dan)
Oxnard police shot and killed the 46-year-old driver of a propane truck Wednesday outside a McDonald’s restaurant after a chase in which the suspect knocked over a motorcycle officer and rammed numerous vehicles, including police cars, authorities said.
The chase began at Wooley Road and Victoria Avenue in Oxnard about 1 p.m. after the driver refused an officer’s request to pull over, Oxnard Police Department spokesman David Keith said. Police today identified him as an Oxnard resident, but declined to release his name until family could be located.
At times during the chase, police backed off, giving the driver plenty of room because he was hauling propane, a highly explosive and flammable gas.
But police resumed the chase after the driver rammed several vehicles with the truck, Keith said.
The chase ended in the parking lot of a shopping center at Ventura Road and Fifth Street next to a McDonald’s.
Keith said the driver rammed several more vehicles in the parking lot. Fearing for their safety and that of the public, police fired numerous rounds into the cab of the truck, killing the driver.
The white truck sat in the parking lot throughout the afternoon and early evening as a crowd of onlookers gathered nearby.
Dozens of police cars were parked along Ventura Road and in the parking lot as investigators interviewed witnesses and gathered evidence. A sheriff’s helicopter hovered over the scene.
Oxnard Police Department Cmdr. Tom Chronister told The Associated Press the truck driver’s boss had alerted police that his employee was driving under the influence and acting irrationally. Other drivers also called police to report the man was driving recklessly.
The driver worked for AAA Propane in Oxnard. Owner John Simpson declined to say anything about the incident on Wednesday beyond a prepared statement: “Everyone here at AAA Propane is shocked and saddened by this event. Until we learn additional information, we will be unable to make additional comments at this time.”
During the chase, a motorcycle officer was knocked to the ground.
Keith said Wednesday evening that none of the police officers sustained serious injuries. Police found no weapons in the truck, where the body remained until a coroner arrived.
Now Lew Rockwell would say, that the man shot here was the victim. Which we all know is stupid; like most of the libertarian left. I dare say, that this stupid idiot got just what was coming to him. Must have been a liberal; because no sane rational person or Conservative would do something like this. He was a liberal or a stupid person; but I digress.