Man killed in North Lake Tahoe officer-involved shooting identified

The victim in an officer-involved shooting in North Lake Tahoe has been identified as 27-year-old Jose Gonzales Lera from Lakewood, Colorado.

Lera took a female hostage at gunpoint and was eventually shot and killed by Placer County Sheriff's deputies early Friday morning.

At around 1:40 a.m. February 3, deputies and California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers attempted to pull over Lera, a suspected DUI driver, who was driving dangerously and erratically on Highway 28. The pursuit was terminated a few minutes later. At 2:45 a.m., a deputy saw the car on Highway 28, near Dollar Hill, again driving erratically, and attempted to pull Lera over. He refused and a pursuit began.

Lera's car was stopped by spike strips on Highway 89 in North Lake Tahoe, between Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadow ski resorts. He exited his car with a gun held to his female passenger. Lera ignored negotiations, and as he dragged the victim up a driveway and toward a home, he was shot and pronounced deceased at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing and there's no further information to release at this point.