KTLA has obtained harrowing video of the culmination of a pursuit through Orange County on Saturday, which ultimately ended with police shooting and killing a man accused of murder.
The footage, taken by Rajon Robinson, who posted it on Instagram under the handle @raythelover, shows a grey SUV speeding down the pier, followed by several police officers. Several gunshots could then be heard.
The Menifee Police Department later identified 45-year-old Jose Velasquez as the man killed by officers just before 7 a.m. He was wanted on suspicion of homicide following the shooting death of 38-year-old Storm Wolf in Menifee at 2:43 a.m. that morning.
After police identified Velasquez as the suspect, he led officers on a chase through the city of Santa Ana, and onto the pier in Newport Beach.
Robinson says he was fishing on the pier with his family when Velasquez whizzed by in the SUV.
“The last thing we were expecting while fishing was to see a random car flying down the pier,” he said. “And then you see a fleet of officers just following behind him.”
Robinson described seeing Velasquez jumping out of the car before hearing the gunfire.
As of Sunday afternoon, it remains unclear whether Velasquez also fired shots toward officers. Officer Natalie Garcia with the Santa Ana Police Department told KTLA that he was armed at the time.
“We weren’t sure if the man was shooting back, so we did the best to shield and protect our family,” Robinson said. He was fishing with his father and 4-year-old son.
No bystanders or officers were injured during the shootout. The pier will be closed until further notice.
