Suspect killed after Southern California deputy hit by car

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — Southern California sheriff’s deputies shot and killed man who struck a deputy with his car and then charged at them with a knife, authorities said.

The shooting occurred after deputies investigating a retail theft pulled over a Toyota Matrix Saturday evening in Rancho Cucamonga, said the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

As the deputies searched the Toyota, a Hyundai Elantra approached from the north and “accelerated towards the deputies, hitting one of them and pinning him between the two vehicles,” said a sheriff’s department statement.

The driver of the Hyundai then exited the car wielding a knife and “aggressively approached the deputies,” prompting them to open fire, according to the statement.

The Hyundai’s driver, a 34-year-old resident of Santa Monica, was struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital, where he died, officials said.

The deputy struck by the car was recovering at home after being treated at a hospital for injuries to his leg.

The investigation was ongoing Sunday.