Part of the 605 Freeway was closed in the Los Alamitos area Thursday morning after someone opened fire at California Highway Patrol officers and a Caltrans crew on the side of the freeway in Orange County in which an unidentified man was later shot and killed.
Jake Sanchez, California Highway Patrol, public information officer, confirmed the incident but said law enforcement agencies were investigating the incident. As California Highway Patrol officers arrived to assist Caltrans workers for maintenance at the off-ramp, someone opened fire on them from a tent under some brush, said CHP Officer Todd Steaffens.
It’s not clear how many rounds were fired. The shooting was reported near the Katella Avenue exit on the southbound side of the freeway. During the initial incident, CHP officers closed lanes of the southbound 605 freeway in response to the initial shooting. While they negotiated for the shooter to leave his enclosure at the Katella onramp, freeway traffic backed up as far as Cerritos. Later, two officers made contact with the man at about 1:30 p.m., CHP Officer Dwayne Graham said.
At that time, an officer-involved shooting occurred.” CHP’s Westminster later issued a statement saying that when officers reengaged the man in the afternoon in a grassy area adjacent to the 605, the man brandished a weapon and fired at them.
One officer returned fire, striking the pedestrian causing fatal injuries, according to CHP.
Though the 605 reopened to traffic at approximately 3 p.m., the Katella on and off-ramps were still closed to traffic and reopened later.
The incident is reportedly still under investigation by the OC District Attorney’s office.
Los Alamitos Police said they assisted in the incident with traffic control and that the traffic jam briefly caused some disruption at nearby city hall.