Man shot dead by police in Colton after car chase, crash

COLTON, Calif. (KABC) -- A man fleeing officers in a suspected stolen car was shot and killed by police after the chase ended in a crash in Colton.

It started around 5:30 p.m. Monday, when Colton police officers spotted a car reported as stolen with two people inside. They tried to get the driver to pull over, but the driver refused to stop.

That's when the chase began. The pursuit came to an end when an officer opened fire after the suspected stolen car crashed into a curb in front of George Washington High School on East C Street.

A witness who was outside her house watering her lawn said the incident unfolded right outside her residence.

"They turned into the driveway and two cop cars, they tried to box him in. He took off again and I just heard a bunch of gunshots," the witness described. "I didn't really see it because there was a lot of cop cars in the way, but I heard it."

The driver and the passenger were taken to nearby hospitals. One of them died, the other is recovering. It was not known if the men were armed.

There was no word on what exactly led to the gunfire. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation into the incident.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District tweeted that George Washington High School would be closed on Tuesday due to a police investigation on campus, saying no students or staff were involved. The school is expected to resume normal operations on Wednesday.