A suspect in a vehicle break-in near La Costa Country Club opened fire Wednesday on a patrol officer during an ensuing high-speed road chase, causing no injuries but managing to elude capture by disabling the pursuing cruiser.
The auto burglary in the 2300 block of La Costa Avenue in Carlsbad was reported about 3:30 a.m. A witness described seeing the possible perpetrator driving off in a light-colored truck, possibly a Ford Ranger, Lt. Mickey Williams said.
A short time later, an officer spotted a pickup matching that description and tried to pull it over on Palomar Airport Road. The driver refused to yield and sped off.
As the officer gave chase, the suspect or possibly a passenger in the truck fired seven or eight rounds toward the pursuing squad car, striking the front of it several times. The unscathed officer refrained from returning fire for public-safety reasons, Williams told reporters.
The chase continued into San Marcos at speeds exceeding 100 mph. After several miles, the police car broke down in the area of Discovery Way, which allowed the suspect to get away.
The officer did not get a good look at the suspect or anyone else who might have been in the truck, so no descriptions were available, according to police.
Eastbound Palomar Airport Road was closed between Melrose Drive and El Camino Real for hours while investigators gathered evidence around the site of the shooting. The street was reopened in the late morning.
