RivCo Deputy Hit By Fleeing Suspect's Car In MoVal Recovering

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A Riverside County sheriff's deputy who was struck Friday by a vehicle during a pursuit in Moreno Valley, triggering a deputy-involved shooting that wounded the suspect, was recovering at home Monday.

"The deputy who sustained the injury is recovering," according to a sheriff's statement released to City News Service. "All deputies involved in the incident are OK."

The driver who allegedly hit the patrolman, 26-year-old Quintin Howard, was recuperating under guard at Riverside University Medical Center. He is expected to be booked into the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside on suspicion of murder of a peace officer and felony evading, according to sheriff's officials.

About 8:40 p.m. Friday, a patrol unit attempted to stop Howard on suspicion of drunken driving in the area of Goldfinch Street and Lark Haven Drive in Moreno Valley, but he allegedly accelerated, prompting deputies to give chase, according to sheriff's Sgt. Lionel Murphy.

The brief pursuit abruptly came to a halt when Howard tried to enter a gated apartment complex parking lot near the intersection of Cottonwood Avenue and Heacock Street, but was unable to gain access, he said.

"As deputies exited their patrol unit, the driver reversed and struck one of the deputies," the sergeant said. "It was at this time that a deputy-involved shooting occurred."

He said the suspect was hit, but no other details were provided regarding the severity of the wound.

A passenger in the vehicle was detained but ultimately not arrested.

Both Howard and the injured deputy, whose name was not released, were taken to the same facility for treatment.

The District Attorney's Office is investigating the shooting, and all deputies involved have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, according to Murphy.

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--City News Service