Fullerton Police Shoot, Kill Gunman

Fullerton police officers shot and killed a gunman who police said fired at them after a high-speed pursuit.

A second man was injured from the crash at the end of the pursuit when the vehicle plunged 20 feet into a concrete drainage canal near Gilbert Street and Malvern Avenue around 11:15 p.m. Thursday, said Fullerton police Sgt. Jeff Stuart. Diego Figueroa, 22, was released from the hospital and booked at the Fullerton Police Department jail on suspicion of auto theft, police said.

Police began chasing the suspects in the area of Euclid Street and Wilshire Avenue when they rolled through a stop sign, Stuart said.

The vehicle, which hit speeds of 90 mph, crashed through a gate and into the canal when the driver failed to make a turn from Malvern onto Gilbert, Stuart said.

One man fled and hid in the canal and later emerged firing a handgun at pursuing officers, he said.

At least one officer returned fire, striking the suspect. The man, who was not immediately identified, died at the scene, Stuart said. A gun was recovered.

The Orange County District Attorney's office was investigating, as is routine in officer-involved shootings in the county, he said.

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