A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot Thursday afternoon during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley, sparking a high-speed chase across multiple freeways that ended with deputies killing the gunman in a shootout.
The shooter was a violent felon who should have been incarcerated after violating California’s “three strikes” law but was released on bail, Sheriff Chad Bianco said at a news conference Thursday night.
Deputy Isaiah Cordero, 32, was conducting a traffic stop just before 2 p.m. near the 3900 block of Golden West Avenue when the suspect pulled out a gun and shot him as he approached the vehicle, Bianco said.
Spotted in San Bernardino County, the gunman fled back to Jurupa Valley, where his truck ran over a spike strip on the 60 Freeway but continued driving. As many as 30 police vehicles followed the gunman’s truck south on Interstate 15 to Norco.
By the time the gunman reached the 6th Street exit of the 15 in Norco, the vehicle was smoking, its tires had been stripped away, and an axle had given way, rendering it disabled.
The stage was set for a final confrontation that ended in a hail of bullets.
The gunman shot at the deputies pursuing him, prompting them to return fire and kill him, Bianco said. More than 10 officers opened fire in the gun battle, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
The pickup truck driven by the gunman was rammed and pinned by a SWAT armored vehicle on the side of the 15. TV coverage showed multiple gunshot holes in the windshield.
Bianco identified the gunman as William Shea McKay, 44, who most recently lived in San Bernardino County.
It was not immediately clear why Cordero had pulled over McKay, the sheriff said. Investigators will review footage from the deputy’s body camera.
The southbound 15 was shut down due to large numbers of police vehicles on the highway where the pursuit ended.
The deputy was pronounced dead at Riverside Community Hospital after he was taken there from the shooting scene, a law enforcement source told The Times.
Bianco laid blame for Cordero’s death on failures of the criminal justice system.
McKay’s criminal history dated to the 1990s and included kidnapping, robbery and multiple assaults with deadly weapons, Bianco said. In one case, McKay stabbed a California Highway Patrol dog.
“This terrible tragedy should have been prevented by the legal system,” Bianco said. “McKay has an extensive, violent past and was convicted of his third strike in November of 2021.”
Gunman who killed Riverside County deputy should have been jailed on 'three strikes,' sheriff says
Deputy Isaiah Cordero was shot in Jurupa Valley. The gunman was killed in a gun battle with law enforcement after a freeway chase.
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