Off-duty police shooting leaves person critically wounded in Murrieta

An off-duty Hemet police officer intervening in a road rage confrontation Monday in Murrieta shot one of the parties, critically wounding him.

The shooting occurred shortly after 9 a.m. in the parking lot of Murrieta Hot Springs Resort at 39540 Murrieta Hot Springs Road, across from the Margarita Square Shopping Center at the intersection of Margarita and Murrieta Hot Springs roads, according to the Murrieta Police Department.

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Police said the Hemet lawman, whose name was not released, observed the road rage dispute between two motorists who had pulled into the parking lot and decided to intervene.

At some point during the intervention, the policeman pulled his off- duty handgun, and "an officer-involved shooting occurred," Murrieta police spokesman Lt. Jeremy Durrant said, without elaborating on the details.

The man suspected of prompting the shooting suffered "multiple gunshot wounds," Durrant said. His name also was not released.

No one else was hit by the gunfire, and the off-duty lawman was not injured.

The wounded man was taken to a regional trauma center in critical condition, according to Durrant.

It was unclear why the off-duty Hemet policeman was in Murrieta.

"This is a multi-jurisdictional investigation," Durrant said.

Along with Murrieta police detectives, other members of the Riverside County Force Investigations Detail were assigned to probe the shooting, including sheriff's detectives and District Attorney's Office personnel.

Murrieta patrol officers shut down a portion of Murrieta Hot Springs, between Margarita and School House Way, for public safety. The roadway was reopened a couple of hours later.

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