IRVINE — A 27-year-old man suspected of firing shots at an off-duty officer early Tuesday in Irvine was arrested.

Officers from the Irvine Police Department were dispatched at 2:06 a.m. Tuesday after an off-duty officer reported witnessing a Nissan Altima driving recklessly near Jamboree Road and Barranca Parkway, police said.

The off-duty officer then began following the vehicle with the assumption that the driver, identified as Solomon Cottrell of Los Alamitos, was under the influence of drugs or alcohol as on-duty officers attempted to catch up to their location.

Police stated that the Nissan exited the Edinger Avenue off-ramp and began heading east toward Irvine Center Drive and Harvard Avenue.

As the off-duty officer followed Cottrell, he then turned around and began heading westbound in the eastbound lanes of Edinger Avenue, confronting the officer at his driver’s side door.

“During the brief contact, the officer saw movement in the front passenger seat, indicating there may be someone else in the vehicle,” police said in a statement.

Cottrell began yelling at the off-duty officer and allegedly attempted to reach under his shirt for what the officer presumed to be a weapon.

Police stated that the officer then exited Edinger Avenue and began heading eastbound, crossing over onto Harvard Avenue as Cottrell followed and began swerving toward the officer’s vehicle.

“As the officer passed Hearthstone on Irvine Center Drive, he heard what sounded like a gunshot and saw the Nissan complete a U-turn and drive in the opposite direction,” police said.

Officers on duty quickly arrived at the scene, where shell casings were found near the location of the gunfire, but they were unable to locate the Nissan.

The vehicle was eventually tracked and located at the Pechanga casino in Temecula, where Cottrell was spotted in the driver’s seat and ultimately taken into custody.

The passenger, a Long Beach resident, was detained and released, police said.

Cottrell was booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of shooting into an occupied vehicle and assault with a deadly weapon.

Police stated that the weapon used in the alleged shooting was recovered from the vehicle.

Anyone with additional information regarding the case was urged to call Detective Rebecca Steen at 949-724-7170 or rsteencityofirvine.org

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