TUOLUMNE COUNTY, Calif. — The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office said a man who pointed a revolver at law enforcement was shot and killed in Tuolumne County Saturday.
The sheriff's office identified the man as 51-year-old Fred Westmoreland.
According to deputies, the shooting stems back to when Westmoreland crashed his car into the front of a 7-Eleven in Twain Harte while intoxicated.
Cal Fire responded to the crash, and deputies later responded to an emergency response request from Cal Fire. Firefighters said Westmoreland was trying to leave the crash scene while intoxicated and while in possession of a revolver.
Deputies responded as witnesses said the the driver and his vehicle were on the road while "blacked out" with no lights. Westmoreland allegedly ran two vehicles off the roadway while on Highway 108.
Deputies tried to pull the suspect over near Mono Way and Christie May Lane in East Sonora, but deputies said he took off, leading them on a chase that reached up to 95 mph.
The chase came to an end near an Edgemont Acres Road home in Sonora. Deputies said Westmoreland stopped his car in the driveway of a nearby home, got out of the car and confronted the deputy with a revolver. A CHP officer arrived to help the deputy with the situation.
Law enforcement fired at Westmoreland when he pointed a loaded gun at the deputy and officer, authorities said. Westmoreland died at the scene.
According to the sheriff's office, deputies found a loaded .22 caliber revolver with live rounds of ammunition and recovered four spent rounds from Westmoreland at the scene.
Deputies said they found more guns in his car, such as a 12-gauge shotgun, a loaded 30-06 bolt action rifle and loaded .410 shotgun with a sawed-off barrel. They also found drug paraphernalia and what they suspect is meth.
The shooting is under investigation, and the deputy involved has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Katheryn Silva, who identified herself as Westmoreland's daughter, provided the following statement to ABC10.
"My dad was an amazing man, who has had a really hard life. Always in the wrong place, wrong time."
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