ANAHEIM -- A southern California freeway has reopened after being closed for about nine hours following a deadly officer-involved shooting. A man suspected of shooting an Anaheim police officer in the leg Sunday morning was killed by police nearly 18 hours later in a gunbattle that left a motorist wounded.
It happened on the eastbound Riverside (91) Freeway at Brookhurst Street in Anaheim shortly after midnight, according to Anaheim police Sgt. Tim Schmidt.
The man, who was under police surveillance at the time, sped away when officers attempted to pull him over on the freeway around 12:30 a.m., he said.
He encountered traffic as he neared Brookhurst Street, then struck several vehicles while trying to get through it, Schmidt said.
He crashed into a vehicle in front of him, disabling his own vehicle, then got out carrying a handgun and took cover behind other cars on the freeway, Schmidt said.
The man exchanged fire with at least two Anaheim police officers and was later declared dead at the scene, he said.
A woman was shot and wounded during the battle and was transported to UCI Medical Center in Orange, Schmidt said. Authorities said she was expected to survive and may be released from the hospital later today.
It was not immediately clear who shot her, Schmidt said. No officers were hurt.
All eastbound lanes of the freeway were shut down during the investigation and reopened shortly after 9 a.m.
Police believe the suspect was the man who shot an officer outside the Best Western Raffles Inn, 2040 S. Harbor Blvd., about 8 a.m. Sunday, Schmidt said. The officer suffered a non-life-threatening leg injury and is expected to make a full recovery, according to a police spokesman.
Police say the man had exposed himself to women and children from inside his hotel room, prompting the initial police call.
When they arrived, the suspect was already outside, officials said.
The man, a Southern California resident, has a lengthy criminal history, Schmidt said.
The Sunday morning shooting occurred while officers were investigating a report that the man was exposing himself at the Best Western, police said.