by Larry Valenzuela
The Fresno Bee
TULARE, Calif. — One person was killed and a police officer was injured Sunday night in a gunfight on the outskirts of Tulare, the Police Department has confirmed.
A Tulare police dog also was killed in the shootout, police said a news release.
At least one other person also was shot. That person’s condition was described by police as “grave.”
The police officer was shot in the torso and hand but “his vest did its job and he doesn’t appear to be seriously injured,” authorities said.
The violence erupted following a car chase around 7 p.m. that ended on Tulare Avenue, just west of Palm Street, officers said in the statement.
Investigators said the vehicle sped away from the officer during an attempted traffic stop in Tulare. Once the chase reached Tulare Avenue, just west of the town, shots were fired. Police did not comment on the number of shots fired or the number of weapons involved.
Three people were inside the vehicle in question, police said. Two were shot. The third person in the vehicle was not injured, police said, but was taken to an area hospital for “observational purposes.”
The investigation has turned over to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.
Police on Sunday did not release the identities of any of the people involved in the gunfight.
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©2018 The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.)