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Escondido police say officers fired on woman after high-speed, wrong-way pursuit; California DOJ investigates
Summary
Escondido Police Chief Ken Plunkett told a community briefing that officers shot 40-year-old Maria Tate after a more-than-15-minute pursuit on Aug. 29, 2025; Tate had told dispatchers she would not be taken alive and later died at a San Diego hospital. The California Department of Justice is the lead investigator.
Escondido Police Chief Ken Plunkett said at a community briefing that officers located 40-year-old Maria Tate on Aug. 29, 2025, just after 4 p.m., and that a pursuit began when she fled from an attempted traffic stop. Plunkett said Tate was wanted on burglary and felony vehicle‑evasion warrants.
Plunkett said the vehicle pursuit lasted more than 15 minutes and included repeated wrong‑way driving on Interstate 15 and speeds “in excess of 100 mph.” He said Tate called 911 during the pursuit and told a California Highway Patrol dispatcher, “I’m not going alive,” and that she had a gun. "This information was disseminated to pursuing officers," Plunkett said.
According to Plunkett, officers terminated the vehicle pursuit and the San Diego Police Department helicopter continued to track the car. Tate returned to surface streets, entered a parking lot and fled again, at times entering and exiting the freeway. As she approached the I‑15/I‑163 split, Plunkett said an Escondido sergeant attempted to block her path; she maneuvered around the police vehicle and a collision occurred with an uninvolved motorist.
Plunkett said officers exited their vehicles, issued commands and observed what he described as a series of sudden, furtive movements by Tate. "Shots fired," he said, and reported that three officers fired at the vehicle. Officers removed Tate from the car, rendered medical aid and awaited paramedics; she was transported to a San Diego hospital where she later died.
Plunkett warned viewers that surveillance footage shown during the briefing "may be too graphic for certain audiences" and said the California Department of Justice is the lead agency investigating the incident in accordance with state law. He closed the briefing by saying, "This incident illustrates the dangers that our law enforcement officers face on a daily basis," and thanked the community for watching.
The Escondido Police Department released the briefing as a factual account of the department’s response; Plunkett did not announce any administrative findings or disciplinary actions during the briefing. The office of the California Department of Justice will lead the independent investigation; no timeline for release of investigative findings was provided during the briefing.
