A 19-year-old man who police say was armed with a handgun was fatally shot during what began as a routine traffic stop in Orange County on Wednesday night.
Santa Ana police said officers attempted to stop a vehicle near East 4th and French streets around 10:30 p.m., but the driver continued for about a block before pulling into the parking structure of The Spectrum apartments off East 3rd Street.
At some point during the stop, police said, the 19-year-old got out of the vehicle and was shot by an officer. Video posted on social media appears to show the driver stepping out of the vehicle with his hands up before the shooting.
“We’re aware of the video circulating on social media,” Santa Ana Police Officer Natalie Garcia told KTLA’s Carlos Herrera on Thursday morning. “It appears the suspect comes out of the vehicle with his hands up. We now know that the suspect did exit the vehicle armed with a firearm. He drops that firearm. Our officer gives the suspect commands to not pick up that firearm, and that’s when the officer-involved shooting occurred.”…