Rookie officer injured, suspect dead after altercation leads to police shooting in Garden Grove

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (KABC) -- An altercation after a violent crash involving a stolen vehicle led to a police shooting that left a rookie officer injured and a suspect dead in Garden Grove early Wednesday morning, police said.

The shooting occurred in the 13500 block of Harbor Boulevard at about 1:25 a.m. after police responded to a traffic collision.

When police attempted to contact one of the people in the vehicle, which struck a light pole, the suspect attacked the officer, according to Garden Grove police.

The altercation led to the officer-involved shooting.

The suspect later died after he and the officer were transported to local hospitals. The officer's injuries, which officials say occurred during the struggle but did not include any gunshot wounds, were described as non-life-threatening. The officer has been with the department for about a year and a half and just passed his probationary period, according to Garden Grove police Lt. Carl Whitney.

Additional information on the officer and suspect, including names and ages, have not been released.

Police say it was later determined that the crashed vehicle, a 2017 Dodge Challenger, was stolen from a Santa Ana dealership. It is unclear when the vehicle was stolen.

Detectives do not believe the suspect was in possession of a weapon.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office and Garden Grove police investigators will review the officer's body cam footage.

An investigation is ongoing.