Police chase ends with shooting inside packed Applebee's restaurant in Redlands

REDLANDS, Calif. (KABC) -- A suspect who had multiple felony warrants for his arrest led police on a foot chase that ended with a shooting inside an Applebee's restaurant in Redlands.

Around 6 p.m. Friday, officers attempted a traffic stop on Redlands Boulevard at New Jersey Street, according to the Redlands Police Department. The suspect, 36-year-old Joseph Leonard Castaneda, fled from officers and ran into the nearby restaurant.

As he was being pursued, police say Castaneda turned and pointed his gun at an approaching officer.

As many as 200 people were inside the restaurant when the officer fired at Castaneda, who then ran into the restroom. It's unclear if anybody was hurt.

A bartender described what it was like inside.

"Everyone froze. It was a really weird situation. Everyone just froze and laid on the ground. I had to yell and scream for them to get up. As soon as I did, then they ran like crazy," he said.

Castaneda exited the restroom shortly after and surrendered without further incident. A firearm and "additional evidence" was recovered at the scene, police said.

He was arrested and booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga for assault on a police officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm, evading police and additional warrants.