Officer pursuing man opens fire inside busy Applebee’s, California police say

Diners at an Applebee’s restaurant in Southern California dived for cover Friday night when a police officer opened fire on a man who had pointed a gun at him, authorities say.

Joseph Leonard Castaneda, 36, of San Bernardino had dashed inside the Redlands eatery after being pulled over by police just outside at 6 p.m., a press release said.

An officer chased him inside the restaurant, then opened fire when Castaneda turned and pointed a gun at him, police said.

“We heard a couple pops and then we got outside,” said diner Kristin Bradley-Persky, according to the Redlands Daily Facts. “Then (while) coming outside we heard a couple more. It was super quick.”

“Everyone hit the floor,” diner Carlos Ramirez told the publication. About 30 people were inside the Applebee’s at the time, city officials said.

Castaneda barricaded himself in a bathroom but shortly afterward surrendered to police, the release said. Police found a firearm inside the restroom.

He faces charges including assault on a police officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm, evading police and additional warrants.

Redlands is a city of 71,000 near San Bernardino, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published September 5, 2021 at 8:34 AM with the headline "Officer pursuing man opens fire inside busy Applebee’s, California police say."