Suspected DUI driver commits suicide when stopped by police www.privateofficer.com

 

CONCORD CA Aug 20 2011 — A man who had been pulled over by a California Highway Patrol officer on Thursday morning on suspicion of drunk driving shot and killed himself during the traffic stop, Concord police said.

The victim, identified by the Contra Costa Coroner’s office as David Leon, 59, of San Ramon, was ordered to pull over about 9:20 a.m. while on eastbound Highway 4 and exited onto southbound Port Chicago Highway near Panoramic Drive, according to a news release. The officer suspected him of driving impaired.

After the officer contacted the driver, who was alone in his vehicle, Leon pulled out a handgun and shot himself, police said. He was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. The officer was not injured.

A stretch of Port Chicago Highway and the nearby Highway 4 offramp were shut down after the shooting and were expected to be cleared by late Thursday afternoon.

Because Leon was interacting with police when he died, authorities are investigating the incident.