Man shot by Brea police after possible DUI crash dies
A man who appeared to be driving under the influence and shot by Brea police officers has died, investigators said Friday.
The shooting happened Thursday afternoon near Lambert Road and the 57 Freeway in Brea after police officers responded to calls of a possible DUI driver, according to a Brea Police Department statement.
Officers found the vehicle against a retaining wall in the westbound lanes of Lambert Road just east of the freeway.
"Officers made contact with the driver," the statement noted. "A short time later, an officer-involved shooting occurred."
The driver was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, investigators added. Friday night, investigators identified the man as 57-year-old Mohammad Hossein Mohammadinia, a resident of Irvine, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
It is still not clear what prompted the shooting, but aerial footage showed the suspect's SUV nose-to-nose with a patrol SUV, pushing it into the intersection. Another police cruiser was partially parked on the sidewalk across the street.
Police said the Orange County District Attorney's office responded to the scene to begin an investigation, per department policy.