Deputy killed in line of duty prior to high-speed pursuit and crash on SoCal freeway

A San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputy died Monday after he was shot while responding to a domestic violence incident in Rancho Cucamonga.

Deputy Andrew Nunez was pronounced dead at an area hospital after he was shot in the head by a man who later led authorities on a high-speed chase on the 210 Freeway that ultimately ended with a violent crash.

Officials said Nunez had responded around 12:40 p.m. to the 12300 block of Hollyhock Drive in Rancho Cucamonga for a report of an armed man threatening a woman.

Upon arrival of deputies, the suspect allegedly opened fire immediately and struck Nunez once. Responding deputies administered first aid until paramedics arrived to transport Nunez by helicopter to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Officials said Nunez was a six-year veteran with the Sheriff's Department. He was married with a 2-year-old daughter and was expecting a second child with his wife.

Sheriff Shannon Dicus spoke of Nunez's killing and described the heartbreak felt among the department staff and law enforcement agencies throughout the region.

"We are embedded in sorrow," Dicus siad. "Unfortunately for this department, it happens way too often."

Dicus said he believed this was the 81st shooting involving his deputies since becoming sheriff in 2022.

"There's a tremendous amount of violence out there," Dicus said. "We're proactively trying to prevent this violence."

After Nunez was fatally wounded, the suspect fled the scene on a motorcycle, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase on the 210 Freeway.

Authorities pursued the man on the motorcycle as he traveled westbound at speeds exceeding 120 mph. He eventually exited the freeway and then re-entered, traveling eastbound in the direction from where he was previously traveling.

At one point, he narrowly escaped a crash with a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer that was involved in the chase.

The pursuit ultimately came to an end near Claremont after a black sedan swerved into the motorcycle's path, knocking the suspect off the bike and into the air at speeds of around 70 mph. Sky5 was overhead at the time of the crash and appeared to show the motorcyclist turned around and looking back at his pursuers before he collided with the vehicle.

The suspect flipped over the handlebars of his bike and crashed onto the pavement on his back where he lay injured until first responders rushed to him. He was then loaded into an emergency medical helicopter and flown to a nearby hospital where he is currently in stable condition.

During a press conference late Monday afternoon, Dicus said the driver of the vehicle that brought the motorcycle down was actually an off-duty deputy who "put himself on duty and conducted a legal intervention."

The 210 Freeway remained closed for several hours with vehicles unable to leave the roadway while investigators combed the scene. As of 5:45 p.m., the roadway remains fully closed.

Dicus said his department will work tirelessly to ensure Nunez's suspected killer is held to account for his crimes.

"We're going to do our very best ti the most important thing at this point, and that's to make sure that we bring the suspect to justice and take good care of that family," Dicus said.

A law enforcement precession for Deputy Nunez was expected to take place around 6 p.m., as his body was transported from the hospital to a local funeral home.

The man accused of shooting and killing him has yet to be identified by authorities. San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said his office will likely file charges of murder on a peace officer.

Anderson said investigators are still uncovering details about the case, which he called "significant."