A 1 a.m. traffic stop in Bay Point turned deadly when an officer opened fire on the driver identified as Johnny Ochoa, 24, of Antioch. According to the Contra Costa County sheriff's department the driver tried to pull away as an officer was attempting to turn off the vehicle taking the officer with him.
The sheriff's press release says deputies stopped a vehicle on the 300 block of Hanlon Way for running a red light and talking on his cell phone. The driver initially turned the car off. Deputies said when they ran a check on the driver, it was determined he gave them a false name. The driver then restarted his vehicle so the office tried to shut the car back offf by removing the keys from the ignition. That's when Ochoa allegedly accelerated at a high rate of speed with one deputy still partially inside the vehicle. The press release said the other deputy feared for both his and his partner’s safety so he discharged his firearm striking the driver. The car stopped a short distance later.
Ochoa was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, spokesman Jimmy Lee said.
The shooting is being investigated by the sheriff's office as well as the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office, as is standard protocol for officer-involved incidents. One of the officers involved suffered minor injuries, according to investigators.
