An off-duty police officer shot a man in a Murrieta parking lot Monday during an apparent argument between two motorists.
The incident was apparently sparked by a road rage incident that escalated into an argument between two people, prompting the Hemet officer to intervene, the Murrieta Police Department announced in a news release.
The shooting was reported shortly after 9 a.m. in a parking lot at 39540 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. When police responded to the scene for reports of gunshots, they found an injured man who had been shot multiple times, according to authorities.
The off-duty officer, whose name has not been released, remained at the scene with a group of witnesses. Police learned that during the argument the off-duty officer shot the man, but there were no details on why he opened fire.
Medical assistance was provided to the injured man and he was transported by ambulance to a local hospital in critical condition, police said.
The man was in stable condition as of Tuesday.
A pistol was recovered at the scene and investigators have counted all the shots fired.
A store window was broken in the shooting, news station KABC reported.
A witness recorded a video showing a man wearing a baseball cap and a gray shirt pointing a gun at a man lying on the ground between two vehicles. Witnesses told the news station that the off-duty officer shot the man multiple times and that a fake gun was found at the scene that could have belonged to the man who was shot.
In the video, a woman can be seen screaming and crying on the ground as the off-duty officer stands over her with his gun drawn.
The off-duty officer is cooperating with the investigation, which is in its early stages, according to Murrieta police.
Police will launch an investigation in conjunction with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The district attorney's office will also conduct an independent review of the shooting.
