Motorist dies in Costa Mesa officer-involved shooting

A motorist died Friday after being shot by Costa Mesa police officers when he allegedly backed his vehicle into one of his passengers.

The incident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of South Coast Drive, said Costa Mesa Police Lt. Bryan Wadkins. As officers patrolled the area, they made contact with three people in a parked vehicle. They removed two passengers and detained them.

As the officers attempted to contact the driver, he allegedly drove in reverse and struck one of the passengers outside the vehicle.

Wadkins said officers issued commands to the driver, but he did not comply, after which the shooting occurred.

No officers were injured in the incident. First responders administered treatment to the passenger injured by the vehicle and to the driver, who was shot, before transporting both to a local hospital.

The driver was pronounced dead at the hospital, Wadkins said.

Lt. Ed Everett, a spokesman for the Costa Mesa Police Department, said the injured passenger is in stable condition.

The Orange County district attorney’s office is investigating the incident.

This is the second officer-involved shooting for the Costa Mesa Police Department in two weeks. Another shooting occurred on Jan. 31 after a man wielding a knife allegedly refused to drop his weapon and charged at officers on the scene, according to officials.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.