Salinas neighborhood reacts to officer-involved shooting

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Residents at the Laurel Heights neighborhood in Salinas are reacting to a dramatic officer-involved shooting that happened over the weekend.

It all happened on North Madeira Avenue off of East Laurel Drive on Sunday night when police say a vehicle drove through a neighboring park and crashed through a fence into a house, starting a fire.

At some point during a following chase, responding officers shot the driver.

"Somebody was shooting, I didn't know who it was," said Joe Gonzales, another Laurel Heights resident.

The park was crawling with investigators from the Salinas Police Department and the Monterey County District Attorney's Office Monday morning.

"I actually heard gunshots," said Enrique Anguiano, a Laurel Heights resident. "I mean it's scary to think that it could have been like anyone's house. It could've been like even our house."

As is protocol with police shootings, the case is being handled by the DA, who say they cannot comment on the investigation at this time.

Salinas Councilwoman Gloria De La Rosa, who lives in the Laurel Heights neighborhood, looked over the scene on Monday and addressed the violence with some of her constituents.

"My plea right now to my community is if you know anything about this incident, please report it," said De La Rosa.

She and Salinas Mayor Joe Gunter are planning to hold a neighborhood meeting at a nearby Methodist church to ease residents' concerns and answer questions.

"It's tragic, it's bad. It looks bad for the neighborhood," said Gonzales.

"It was scary, but it's not something we're used to around here," said Anguiano.

Medical crews rushed the suspect to a nearby hospital where the still unidentified man is in critical condition. No officers were injured.