A man is dead after Grass Valley police opened fire after a high-speed chase last night.
The man, described as being in his early 60s, was shot to death near the Bear River Bridge in Nevada County on Thursday.
A Grass Valley police press release said the incident began with a call to dispatch about 7 p.m. that reported at least one vehicle was chasing another near East Main Street and North Auburn Street. Also, the caller said, one of the parties may have a gun.
Police officers found one of the vehicles involved in the chase and tried to make a traffic stop near East Main Street and East Bennett Stand but the vehicle took off. Police gave chase with lights and siren onto Highway 174 toward Colfax.
The pursuit, which reached speeds of 80 mph, ended after 10 minutes. The suspect's vehicle left the highway, driving onto a service road under the Bear River Bridge in unincorporated Nevada County where it stopped.
"Officers engaged the lone occupant of the vehicle at which time shots were fired," stated the Grass Valley press release. "The driver of the vehicle was later pronounced dead at the scene."
The Nevada County District Attorney's Office and the sheriff's office are conducting an investigation into the shooting. Grass Valley officers involved in the incident are on paid administrative leave.
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