A violent crime spree ended in a deadly officer-involved shooting after a suspect in a Menifee homicide led police on a high-speed pursuit that ended at the Newport Beach Pier.
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Homicide in Menifee
The incident began in the early hours of Saturday, February 1, 2025, when Menifee Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 25000 block of Mesa Edge Court.
Upon arrival, officers discovered the deceased body of 38-year-old Storm Wolf of Temecula, who appeared to be the victim of a homicide.
Investigators quickly identified the primary suspect as 45-year-old Jose Velasquez, a Menifee resident and acquaintance of Wolf.
Velasquez fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, sparking a regional manhunt.
Multi-Agency Effort to Locate Velasquez
Menifee, CA🚔
— police.law.news (@policelawnews) March 11, 2025
Shots fired call💥
•Officers found the body of a 38 y.o. female homicide victim.
•The suspect was quickly identified & fled from police onto the Newport Beach Pier.
•Suspect stopped & challenged police w/ a 🔫 – which predictably resulted in a Fatal OIS. pic.twitter.com/GQc21KhiDP
Following leads, authorities determined that Velasquez had traveled to Santa Ana. Menifee police contacted the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) for assistance in locating the suspect and his vehicle.
Officers tracked Velasquez’s cell phone, pinpointing his location near the 1400 block of North Freeman Street in Santa Ana.
Upon locating Velasquez inside his vehicle, SAPD officers attempted an arrest, prompting the suspect to flee, initiating a high-speed chase through multiple cities in Orange County.
Pursuit Ends in Officer-Involved Shooting
Velasquez’s reckless flight from law enforcement ultimately led him to the Newport Beach Pier, a location where vehicles are not permitted. Officers cornered him at the end of the pier, where the situation escalated.
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SAPD officers, aware that Velasquez was armed with the firearm used in the Menifee homicide, took tactical positions.
Body-worn camera footage and aerial video from an Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter captured the tense moments as Velasquez ignored officers’ commands.
In a matter of seconds, shots were fired. Velasquez was struck multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene.
Weapon Recovered and Investigations Underway
After securing the scene, officers recovered a Glock Model 17 9mm handgun, believed to be the weapon used in Wolf’s killing.
Authorities confirmed that Velasquez had a criminal history, including arrests for DUI, driving on a suspended license, and brandishing a firearm in a threatening manner.
Per protocol, three separate investigations are now underway:
- The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the officer-involved shooting for potential criminal conduct by law enforcement.
- SAPD’s Internal Affairs Division is conducting a review to determine whether the officers followed departmental policies.
- Newport Beach’s Homicide Unit is investigating Velasquez’s actions and potential connections to other crimes.
Final Thoughts: Police Shooting on Newport Beach Pier
As investigations continue, the evidence will determine whether officers acted within policy. But the swift response of multiple agencies ensured that a dangerous suspect was stopped before he could harm anyone else.
For those interested, the full critical incident briefing video from the Santa Ana Police Department, including body-worn camera footage, is available for review (see video embedded above).
What are your thoughts on this officer-involved shooting? Was there any way to resolve this situation differently?
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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Know your target and what lies beyond… or not.
Dude at the end of the pier is damned lucky– probably bracketed by 17 +17 + 17 rounds, within inches.
Velasquez should have left the gun in the SUV. Got out of the vehicle with his hands up and ran for the pier to jump into the ocean.
That was death by cop. I tried to count the number of times the Stormtroopers shot. Sounded like 15 to 17 rounds x 3 Crazy. Velasquez dropped to the ground as soon as he got out of the vehicle and faced the officers. They just kept shooting. Velasquez never fired a shot.
Maybe he shouldn’t have killed someone in the first place. How many armed subjects have you faced, tough guy?
One – to answer your question. But, I had my EDC on me.
The cops executed Velasquez. Yeah, he killed somebody. But the cops shot him down like a dog in the streets. I know Velasquez had a gun on him, but the cops shot him as soon as he exited the SUV.
I guess I should be impressed with your name on here. “NH Marine” LMAO Such a tough marine. Give me a break.
Well thanks for confirming that you are someone who is not to be taken seriously. I suspected as much when you referred to the police as “stormtroopers” and said “the cops shot him down like a dog in the streets”. Let’s review, shall we?
1. Police locate a potentially armed suspect who is suspected of just killing someone
2. Said suspect then leads the police on a multi-jurisdiction pursuit after they attempt to stop him
3. Suspect engages in further serious reckless behavior by driving down a pedestrian-only area while pedestrians are present
4. Suspect stops and exits the vehicle WITH A GUN IN HIS HAND (not “on him”)
5. Police shot and neutralize said armed suspect
Since neither of us know the suspect’s intent, let’s consider some possibilities:
A. He exited the vehicle to surrender and was going to offer the police the firearm butt first
B. He had recently purchased the firearm and he wanted the police to check the serial number to see if it was stolen (after all, possession of stolen property is a crime)
C. The firearm was a collectors piece and he just wanted to put it gently on the ground so as to not damage the finish (currently in NRA excellent: new condition, used but little, no noticeable marring of wood or metal, bluing perfect, except at muzzle or sharp edges).
D. He was going to shoot at the police and/or commit “suicide by cop”
What do you think?
Perhaps if you actually looked at the incident in totality and did a little research instead of making your knee-jerk and obviously anti-police comments, you would have discovered that after the shooting, Velasquez collapsed, but was still breathing. He was still holding the gun in his right hand and he failed to follow the officers commands to drop the firearm. From the LA Times, “he did not respond to commands from officers, prompting them to fire a 40mm less lethal round at him before approaching”.
As far as your one encounter with an armed subject, glad it worked out ok. Please do forward me a link to the news article or the police report number. I would be interested in learning from your tactical prowess.
An I the only one who immediately flashed back to the movie “Falling Down” minus the squirt gun?
“I would have got’cha”
Bad guy attempts to shoot at cops, bad guy go bye bye…..investigation complete
hey newscum hows all them laws working