A Redlands police officer fired at a San Bernardino man inside a populated Applebee’s at dinnertime Friday night after the man pointed the gun at police, authorities said.
Joseph Leonard Castaneda, 36, was arrested after he briefly barricaded himself in the restaurant’s bathroom. He was not hit and did not fire his weapon, city spokesman Carl Baker said.
About 30 people were inside the Applebee’s at the time, Baker said. Shaken diners told a news videographer they were eating or waiting for their food when the commotion erupted.
“Everyone hit the floor,” said Carlos Ramirez, who was dining with coworkers when he heard two gunshots.
“I made sure that I stayed up just to see if it was real, because it didn’t sound like a real shot,” Ramirez told a news videographer with Onscene.TV. “Once I saw the police officer with the blue vest, I figured they were already chasing him.”
Police initially had tried to pull Castaneda over near Redlands Boulevard and New Jersey Street about 6 p.m. because he had multiple felony warrants for his arrest, authorities said.
Castaneda ran from the vehicle into the Applebee’s on the northwest corner of the intersection. As an officer pursued him inside the restaurant, police said, Castaneda turned around and pointed the weapon, and the officer fired at least one shot as the suspect ran into the bathroom.
He soon left the bathroom and surrendered without further incident, police said. Castaneda was booked into jail on suspicion of assault on a police officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and evading police in addition to the other warrants.
The gun and unspecified evidence were found in the bathroom, police said.
Kristin Bradley-Persky told Onscene.TV that she was waiting to eat when someone ran inside and was chased by police toward the back of the restaurant.
“We heard a couple pops and then we got outside,” she said. “Then (while) coming outside we heard a couple more. It was super quick.”
Inmate records show Castaneda was arrested at 6:16 p.m. He was being held in jail on no bail.
Source: Orange County Register
Be First to Comment