Road Rage Incident Leads to Fatal Shooting in Upscale Orinda

An SUV driver had some reason to be so upset with a Tesla driver in Orinda that he reportedly punched the Tesla driver, who then allegedly shot and killed the SUV driver, bringing a rare gun homicide to the wealthy suburb of Orinda.

We often report on fatal shootings in the East Bay, but these fatal shootings generally do not occur in the luxe Contra Costa County suburb of Orinda. Yet that’s what happened at around 11 am Thursday, as NBC Bay Area reports on a fatal shooting in Orinda at the intersection of Las Vegas Road and La Espiral Road. At the time, there was not much information other than that the incident involved the drivers of a Toyota Forerunner and a Tesla, and that one victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

But KTVU got a whole lot more information, noting that the alleged shooter was a 72-year-old man who owned the Tesla, and “lives nearby.” That Tesla driver is the one who called the police, telling police that he himself shot the Forerunner driver. But he also reportedly said that the unidentified Forerunner driver got out of the SUV and punched him, and the shooting was in self-defense.

"I’m just really surprised,” nearby resident Aaron Miller told NBC Bay Area. “This is not a neighborhood where we’ve experienced anything like that. The most we have experienced is leaf blowers and homeowners’ insurance cancellations; that’s about it.”

KGO obtained the audio of the police dispatch of the law enforcement response. "We have a RP [reporting party] advising he defended himself and he's in a dark gray vehicle, one party is bleeding profusely," the dispatcher said. "Update, now male is on the ground RP advising subject pulled (inaudible) on him. Got out, started punching on him, and then the RP shot him."

The Orinda Police Department and the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff put out a joint statement picked up by KGO. “This morning at about 11:02, Orinda officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the area of Las Vegas Road and La Espiral Road,” the statement said. “Officers detained a person for further investigation. Both parties involved are residents of Orinda. This is an isolated incident and there is no further risk to the public.”

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office’s Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600, or their office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. You can also email tips to [email protected].

Related: Woman Shot in Oakland Just for Honking at Driver Who Cut Her Off [SFist]

Image: Orinda Police Department via Facebook