The incident started when a D.M.V. Investigator and a CHP officer spotted a wanted parolee.
Police worked into the night hours after two members of an auto theft task force found themselves in a life or death struggle with a wanted parolee. Police say that suspect was shot, after he tried to attack approaching officers with a knife.
Captain Lydia Carrasco, Fresno Police Department said, "At that point the detective defended himself and fired upon the suspect and the suspect got into the van and fled eastbound on Shaw."
Police say three people who had been with the suspect ran away after the shooting. As police searched for them, eight Fresno Unified Schools were placed under lockdown; including Hoover High School, which was just two blocks away from the crime scene.
The chase with the suspect ended at Cedar and Shields where his van vehicle slammed into a mailbox and trees before coming to a stop. "The first time I saw the guy I mean his head was just completely cocked back. It looked like he was dead or passed out or whatever. But when they pulled him out he was alive" said witness Robert Jones.
Witnesses say the suspect looked like he suffered some pretty serious injuries. But police say it's unclear what caused them. "We believe he may have sustained some gun wounds however it's unclear the extent of his injuries and whether they were the result of the shooting or the accident he was involved in" said Carrasco.
Police say the D.M.V. investigator was treated and released for minor injuries suffered in the incident. The suspect was rushed to a hospital, with what police described as critical injuries.
