The man was arrested for attempted murder after being told he was fired for an unemployed Orange County police officer.
The suspect was identified as Solomon Cottrell, 27-year-old Los Aramitos, according to Irvine police.
At about 2:06am on March 18, an officer on duty found a Cottrell on a Nissan Altima driving irregularly near Jamboree Road and Baranca Parkway. While waiting for backup, he continued to chase Cottrell, doubting the possibility of a DUI.
Cottrell set off on Edinger Avenue. As officers chased behind, the suspect suddenly turned around and drove on the other side of the road. When he approached the police, he reportedly began screaming indecency at him.
To avoid further conflict, the officers began driving, but Cottrell was reportedly following him and began spinning towards his car.
As officers passed Hearthstone on Irvine Center Drive, he heard what sounded like a gunshot before he saw Cottrell make a U-turn and escape in the opposite direction.
Solomon Cottrell, 27, of suspect Los Aramitos, can be seen in booking photos from the Irvine Police Station.
Backup officers arrive and the suspect escapes, but they find a shell case at the intersection where gunshots are heard.
Police later identified Cottrell as the driver and were able to track his car down to Pechanga Resort Casino in Riverside County.
He was found in the casino parking lot and was taken into custody. A female passenger was also taken into custody but was later released.
A weapon believed to be used in the shooting was also found in his car. Cottrell was arrested for attempted murder and taken to the Orange County Jail.
No further details have been made public as the case is under investigation. Anyone with information about the case can contact detective Rebecca Steen at 949-724-7170 or email rteen@cityofirvine.org.
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