FAIRFIELD, CA – A road rage suspect led multiple California police agencies on a lengthy car chase spanning multiple counties on Interstate 80 on Friday, culminating in his death by suicide on the Lopes Road overpass near Fairfield, resulting in a three-hour shutdown of the freeway.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that the crisis began Friday morning in Santa Rosa when a male suspect in a silver Toyota sedan shot at a black SUV on southbound U.S. Highway 101 in Windsor. CHP Officer David deRutte explained that a bullet went through the back of the SUV, which was driven by an unidentified woman. According to deRutte, the shooting appeared to be unprovoked and seemingly random. Fortunately, the female driver was not injured and was able to describe the shooter’s vehicle to the 911 operator.
Police located the vehicle later that afternoon in a parking lot of a Rohnert Park shopping center with the driver still inside, but the driver fled as authorities moved in. A multi-county chase ensued, during which the suspect crisscrossed highways before eventually getting cornered near Cordelia Junction in Fairfield. Authorities effectively immobilized the vehicle by deploying a spike strip, which the suspect drove over, forcing the vehicle to a halt at around 3:45 p.m. Both eastbound and westbound traffic on I-80 was halted for the duration of the standoff.
Fairfield Police Department’s SWAT team responded to the scene, attempting negotiations in hopes of a peaceful surrender. About an hour later, two armored SWAT vehicles blocked the Corolla, the suspect’s vehicle. A forced entry into the car was made approximately 15 minutes after tear gas was deployed. The suspect, found in the back seat, was reported to be unresponsive, with the CHP later confirming the suspect had fatally shot himself.
The CHP has now reopened most lanes on I-80 and is advising motorists to expect delays and possibly seek alternate routes as lanes 3-5 remained closed for an ongoing police investigation.