Caught on Camera: Pursuit Through Golf Course Ends in Deadly Shooting

A man who drove his minivan through a golf course during a police pursuit in Riverside County Tuesday has been shot dead by sheriff’s deputies.

The pursuit, which spanned from Corona, California, into a neighborhood near Lake Perris, ended at about 2:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of Palma Bonita Lane, where deputies responded to assist Corona Police, Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokesman Deputy Albert Martinez said.

The driver, who was wanted on felony fraud charges, was shot as he tried to escape on foot after crashing his car in the residential neighborhood. It is still unconfirmed whether he had been carrying a weapon.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, Martinez said.

A resident said she saw the suspect  run through her yard as he tried to evade the pursuing law enforcement officers.

"He made a sudden motion... and they started shooting and I ran in the house. He was lying on the ground. He was dead," the resident said. She understood why the deputies had fired however, adding, "You didn't know what his intentions was when he moved."

Corona police chased the suspect on Cajalco Road and the Ramona Expressway before they were joined by sheriff's deputies.

On the way to Perris, the suspect drove down the fairways at the Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona, a moment which was caught on video by bystanders.

"This guy was absolutely dangerous. He's probably 10 feet away from the golfers, and even with our group if he wouldn't have turned. And he was probably driving 30, 40, 50 miles an hour," witness Megan Haynes, who ran out of the way of the speeding vehicle, said.

"I don't know exactly how the police handled it but from what I personally saw we're lucky more people didn't get hurt," Haynes added.

Willian Avila, Tony Shin and City News Service contributed to this report.

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