California

Bullet Deflects Off Officer's Badge in Pursuit Shooting

An officer was shot at during the pursuit, but his badge deflected the bullet

An officer was struck in the badge by a bullet fired during a pursuit that began in a Southern California beach community and ended 80 miles away with a fiery, fatal crash in the Cajon Pass northeast of Los Angeles.

The driver was killed in the crash when the vehicle fell down in an embankment and caught on fire at the end of the high-speed pursuit that began in Orange County early Friday morning.

After police responded to a domestic violence call around 12:15 a.m. in Huntington Beach, the driver fled and opened fire, according to the Huntington Police Department. An officer wearing a protective vest was struck, but his badge deflected the bullet, police said.

"We work so hard for that badge, we sacrifice many hours.... never imagining that our badge is going to save our life," said CHP Officer Steve Carapia.

He was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.

The driver traveled through Costa Mesa, where the pursuit was handed off to the Costa Mesa Police Department. The California Highway Patrol took over when the driver hit the freeway.

The driver traveled north up the 15 Freeway, hitting speeds up to 100 mph, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.

The pursuit ended when the vehicle went down in an embankment near Cleghorn Road in Cajon Pass, where it caught on fire, police said.

Firefighters responded to the scene.

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