By Sara Beth Williams–
A man who was killed by gunfire on Highway 50 on Sept. 7 had been carrying a pellet gun, officials have reported.
A fatal officer-involved shooting on Highway 50 overnight on Sept. 7 and into Sept. 8, involving multiple agencies, including Citrus Heights Police, prompted road closures that snarled early morning traffic on surface streets in Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, and Rancho Cordova.
The Sacramento County Coroner’s office has identified the deceased as 61-year-old Joseph Alexander Vanzan of Carmichael.
Additional law enforcement agencies were called in to assist in pursuing the suspect, who initially fled from California Highway Patrol after 11:20 p.m. on Sept. 7 —including deputies from Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, and officers from the Citrus Heights Police Department.
That night, Vanzan led law enforcement officers on a chase throughout Rancho Cordova, Fair Oaks, and then back toward Highway 50. While on Highway 50 near Hazel Avenue, law enforcement deployed spike strips to help stop the vehicle.
When the vehicle finally stopped, Vanzan exited with what appeared to be a gun in his hand.
At that point, law enforcement officers opened fire, wounding Vanzan, who was taken to the hospital where he later died. The freeway was closed for at least nine hours overnight during the investigation. No officers were injured.
The Sentinel has reached out to CHP, who is leading the investigation, for more details regarding the officer-involved shooting and has not yet heard back.
CHP and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to local news outlets that at least one officer from their agencies discharged their firearm during the incident. Citrus Heights Police referred all questions to CHP.
Multiple surface streets in Citrus Heights and Fair Oaks were impacted, including Sunrise Boulevard and San Juan Avenue.
Interstate 80 from Citrus Heights westbound to Sacramento also felt the impacts of the closure of Highway 50 as more drivers chose alternate routes to avoid the heavy traffic and road closures.
Hazel Avenue was also shut down at Gold Country Road overnight due to an unrelated fatal collision that damaged the signal light pole.
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