SIMI VALLEY, Calif. , A domestic violence suspect died Tuesday after a police chase ended in a crash and an officer-involved shooting in a residential neighborhood, authorities said.
Aerial video from the scene showed a police motorcycle lying on its side on Dusan Street, with a helmet nearby. Video also captured a white pickup truck with front-end damage and bullet holes in the windshield. A body covered in a white sheet lay on the ground outside the truck.
Simi Valley police officers responded to the 2500 block of Dusan Street around 8:15 a.m. for a call about a domestic disturbance and assault, according to the department.
Officers learned the suspect , a 37-year-old Simi Valley resident , had fled before they arrived. A preliminary investigation found probable cause to arrest him for domestic battery and elder abuse, police said.
During the investigation, family members told police the suspect was reportedly armed and issued a warning before leaving the residence.
“Upon leaving, said that if the police were called, he will, ‘shoot it out’ with them,” Officer Casey Nicholson said.
About 1:35 p.m., officers spotted the suspect driving near the Simi Valley Town Center and tried to stop him, police said. The suspect fled, sparking a pursuit.
“Those officers tried to make a traffic stop on that car, but the suspect fled and led the officers in a short pursuit that ultimately ended up back over here in this neighborhood,” Nicholson said.
The chase ended in a crash back near the 2500 block of Dusan Street, where the officer-involved shooting occurred. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured.
Witness video from the neighborhood captured a barrage of gunfire as police units sped down the street and arrived at the crash scene. Officers fired numerous rounds at the pickup truck.
Additional video shows the pickup truck speeding down the road moments before crashing into an unoccupied police motorcycle. Officers jumped out of patrol vehicles behind the truck and opened fire.
“I was sitting in the house, heard a bunch of sirens and came outside to see… and all of a sudden, I see this cop car come from down that street, swing around down Fitzgerald to the left, and then all of a sudden, all I heard was ‘pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,” a neighbor said. “Then I grabbed my daughter, ran back inside, and as I was running back inside, I heard a few more pops.”
Friends said the 37-year-old suspect was a father who had lived in the neighborhood for several years. Police did not immediately release his name.
Residents described being terrified and saddened by the violence.
“It was really scary. I told my grandpa, ‘Get inside!’ When I saw the car coming down… it was all crazy,” neighbor Kyra Ramirez said.
The Simi Valley Police Department and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will conduct the criminal investigation into the deadly shooting, while the department’s Professional Standards Bureau will conduct a separate administrative investigation. Per department policy, all involved officers will be placed on administrative leave until further notice.
Anyone with information regarding the original domestic violence incident or the events that followed is encouraged to contact the Simi Valley Police Department Major Crimes Unit at (805) 583-6950.