California car chase ends in ‘lethal encounter,’ deputies say [Video]

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. – A car chase in Southern California took a violent turn late Monday night.

A driver, believed to be armed, led the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department on a chase that stretched across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The chase initially began around 8:45 p.m. in the Hesperia area, and kept going all the way through parts of Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga before it eventually ended along the 15 Freeway near Lake Arrowhead.

A little after 10 p.m., the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that “a lethal force encounter happened.”

Sheriff’s officials later confirmed no deputies were injured and the suspect was taken to an area hospital.

It remains unclear who fired shots that led to the suspect’s hospitalization – whether it was the deputies or a member of a third party.

The chase unofficially ended around 10:15 p.m., but the road where the 1.5-hour chase ended remains shut down.

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