At times, the suspect reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour.
"Very horrific," said Dr. Tommy Tunson, a former police chief and a professor of criminal justice. "Probably one of the most dangerous type of pursuits because motorcycles are involved."
The alleged gunman and chase suspect was identified Tuesday as Angelo Jose Saldivar, 47, a resident of San Bernardino. After the suspect allegedly fired at Deputy Andrew Nunez in Rancho Cucamonga, he got on a motorcycle and took off.
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At one point, the suspect was heading east on the 210 freeway as a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer got right behind him.
"He wanted to make sure about the safety of everybody around him, and his vision is somewhat obscured on a motorcycle with a helmet and the glasses ... so he got closer so he can verify this was the same suspect," said Tunson of that moment.
The suspect then appeared to pull out a gun and even took his hands off the handles.
"All these safety measures, all the tactical situational awareness take hold at that very moment, and we keep our eyes on him to ensure that no one else, the public or anybody else, is harmed because of his extreme disregard for human life," said Tunson.
The chase ended in a major crash on the 210 Freeway near Upland.
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus confirmed that an off-duty narcotics officer conducted a "legal intervention" by striking the suspect on the motorcycle, which sparked the crash that ended the chase.
"At that very moment is when a motorcyclist turned around, looked away, and that vehicle, coincidentally driven by an off-duty deputy, was getting into the lane, maybe to slow down the pursuit that he could see in his rearview mirror in his vehicle, and as a sworn police officer, he understands the gravity of what's going on now. He's in the midst of a pursuit on a major freeway," said Tunson.
Saldivar was taken into custody and transported to the hospital in stable condition after the crash.
The sheriff's department said he will be booked for murder upon medical clearance.