Huntington Beach Man Driving Recklessly Fatally Shot by Police After Allegedly Pointing Gun at Officer

A 27-year-old Huntington Beach man was shot and killed by police after allegedly forcing cars off the road and pointing a gun at an officer Saturday night.

Officers responded around 5:25 p.m. to a report of a male driving recklessly in a dark-colored SUV in the area of Gothard Street and Heil Avenue, according to a news release from the Huntington Beach Police Department.

After crashing near Ernest Drive and Stewart Lane when officers tried to stop the SUV, the driver exited the vehicle with a handgun and walked up the driveway of a home, police said. When an officer ordered the man to stop, he allegedly turned around and pointed what appeared to be a gun at the officer.

The suspect, identified by the coroner’s office as Daniel Walsh, was shot by the officer. He was taken to a hospital where he died of his injuries.

The officer was not injured in the shooting, but a hangun was recovered at the scene, officials said.

Investigators had no information about Walsh’s motive.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the standard -- standard protocol for officer-involved shootings, Huntington Beach police said.