Atwater police shoot man after vehicle chase

An Atwater man was shot and wounded by police Thursday after he attempted to drive his pickup truck into an officer at the end of a high-speed chase, authorities said.

Police began pursuing Humberto R. Lemus, 40, around 8 a.m. when they spotted a black Chevrolet Silverado speeding in the area of Shaffer Road in Atwater. Officers chased the pickup into Winton and the vehicle pulled over briefly at one point before speeding away again, Lt. Samuel Joseph said. California Highway Patrol officers and Merced County sheriff’s deputies assisted in the pursuit.

As the pickup approached railroad tracks in the area of Santa Fe Drive and Olive Avenue in Winton, a police officer used his patrol vehicle to strike the Silverado and end the chase, police said. An Atwater police officer then stepped out of his patrol vehicle and shouted orders at Lemus.

“The suspect then drove directly at the officer and the officer opened fire to protect himself,” Joseph said.

Lemus was shot at least once in the upper body, Joseph said. Sheriff Vern Warnke said Lemus’ injuries were not life-threatening. He was treated at a Modesto hospital and released.

Lemus was booked at the Merced County jail on numerous allegations, including assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The officer who fired on Lemus was placed on paid administrative leave, a standard practice in officer-involved shootings, Joseph said. The name of the officer was not released.

One officer suffered minor injuries when his vehicle was struck by the Silverado during the chase.

Detective Sgt. Chuck Hale, head of the Sheriff’s Office’s detectives unit, said it was too early to comment on many details of the case, including the number of shots that were fired.

Police Chief Frank Pietro said he was grateful to the Sheriff’s Office for volunteering to assist with the department’s internal review and the criminal portion of the case.

Lemus’ criminal history in Merced County includes numerous arrests on a variety of allegations. He pleaded no contest in February 2010 to possession of a controlled substance, driving on a DUI-suspended license, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was ordered to serve two years in jail, according to Merced Superior Court records.

Thursday’s violence marked the second officer-involved shooting of the year in Atwater. Officer David Walker shot and killed 27-year-old David Oliva Sarabia on July 6 on Green Sands Avenue. Police said Sarabia kidnapped a woman and held her captive in a vehicle during a high-speed chase through Atwater and said he was cutting his own body with a large knife during the pursuit. Investigators said Sarabia later charged at Walker and other officers with the same knife and was subsequently shot to death.

That case remains under review by the Merced County District Attorney’s Office, said Pat Lunney, the prosecutor’s chief investigator.

“We’re still waiting for the autopsy report and, once we have that, we’ll be able to conclude the investigation,” Lunney said Thursday.

This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 9:03 AM with the headline "Atwater police shoot man after vehicle chase."