A man was arrested for attempted murder after he allegedly fired towards an off-duty police officer in Orange County.
The suspect was identified as Solomon Cottrell, 27, Los Alamitos, according to the Irvine Police Department.
On March 18 at around 2:06 a.m., the off-duty officer spotted Cottrell in a Nissan Altima driving erratically near Jamboree Road and Barranca Parkway. While awaiting backup, he continued following Cottrell, suspecting a possible DUI.
Cottrell exited at Edinger Avenue. As the officer trailed behind, the suspect suddenly turned his car around and drove on the wrong side of the road. As he neared the officer he reportedly began yelling obscenities at him.
To avoid further confrontation, the officer began driving away, but Cottrell allegedly followed him and began swerving towards his vehicle.
As the officer passed Hearthstone on Irvine Center Drive, he heard what sounded like a gunshot before seeing Cottrell make a U-turn and flee in the opposite direction.
Backup officers arrived and, though the suspect fled, they found a shell casing at the intersection where the gunshot was heard.
Police later identified Cottrell as the driver and were able to track his vehicle to the Pechanga Resort Casino in Riverside County.
He was found at the casino parking structure and taken into custody. A female passenger was also detained but later released.
The weapon believed to be used in the shooting was also found inside his car. Cottrell was arrested for attempted murder and transported to the Orange County Jail.
No further details were released as the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the case can contact Detective Rebecca Steen at 949-724-7170 or email [email protected].
