A portion of Highway 89 near Squaw Valley had to be closed after officers shot and killed a man suspected of drunk driving.The drama began to unfold just after 1:30 a.m. Friday when a California Highway Patrol officer spotted the suspect allegedly drive erratically.
A chase began, but the CHP eventually backed off in the interest of public safety. However, the man's car was stopped about an hour later, north of Tahoe City, when spike strips were used.Placer County Sheriff's Spokesperson Dena Erwin says the suspect got out his car and held a gun to the head of a female passenger, dragged her along a roadway with officers following and attempting to talk him into surrendering. She also says that at one point he dragged the woman up a driveway toward a house, so a sheriff's deputy who feared for the safety of the woman and anyone in the house shot the suspect.
The unidentified woman is okay and so is the deputy who was involved.
It is not known how many shots were fired.