Standoff in Costa Mesa ends when man suspected of shooting at officer and bystander is shot by police

A suspect was arrested Tuesday night in Costa Mesa after police said a man exchanged gunfire with an officer, shot at a bystander and barricaded himself in the garage of a home before being wounded by police, authorities said.

Steven Taylor Fernandez, 26, of San Diego was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department.

Just before 3:45 p.m., officers responded to a report of a possibly suicidal person with a handgun in the area of Orange Avenue and Palmer Street, police Lt. Ed Everett said in a statement.

When an officer saw a man who matched the description of the person reported, the man fled while firing multiple shots at the officer, prompting the officer to return fire, police said.

The man fled into a garage in the 200 block of Knox Place, where he shot at a resident, according to police.

The Costa Mesa SWAT team arrived on the scene and officers ordered neighborhood residents to shelter in place as authorities searched the area of Orange Avenue and Ogle Street, police said.

Officers cordoned off the area and shut off traffic on portions of Westminster and Orange avenues south of Ogle, including the area of Heller Park.

While officers tried to negotiate with the man, he displayed a weapon and police opened fire, wounding him, authorities said.

The suspect was in custody just after 7 p.m., police said. He was taken to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, police said. No one else was injured.

Two handguns were recovered from the suspect, according to police.

The Police Department and the Orange County district attorney’s office are investigating the incident.

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