An alleged carjacker armed with a firearm led police on a pursuit in the city Thursday night before he was shot by a Santa Maria officer, threatened a business owner, and was taken into custody, according to police.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., police received a call about an incident on the 200 block of East McElhaney Avenue, Cmdr. Dan Cohen said early Friday. 

Police learned a male suspect stole the victim’s vehicle at gunpoint and drove away from the scene. 

A patrol officer located the stolen vehicle nearby and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the suspect fled, with police in pursuit, Cohen said.

The chase ended when the suspect crashed the stolen vehicle in the parking lot of a business on the 800 block of West Cook Street, police said.

“The suspect exited the stolen vehicle armed with a handgun leading to an officer-involved shooting,” Cohen said. “The suspect then fled running to a nearby business, where he threatened the business owner with the handgun.

“A struggle occurred during which the business owner disarmed the suspect.”

The suspect, identified as Francisco Gomez, 24, of Santa Maria, was taken into custody. 

“Further investigation revealed the handgun used by Gomez was a BB gun that closely resembled a realistic firearm,” Cohen added. 

Emergency radio traffic included a request for a Calstar medical helicopter to transport a patient with a gunshot wound in the neck.

Emergency personnel questioned whether they would accept a handcuffed patient for the trip.

Gomez was in stable condition at an area hospital after being treated for his injuries, Cohen said. 

He could be facing multiple felony charges, including carjacking, evading, false imprisonment, burglary, and assault with a deadly weapon, Cohen said. 

The police officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave per normal procedure.

“All incidents involving the use of deadly force by Santa Maria police officers are thoroughly investigated and reviewed,” Cohen added. 

Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives will conduct a criminal investigation into the actions of the officers involved in the incident. That report will then be reviewed by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office to determine if the use of deadly force was lawful.

In addition, Santa Maria police will conduct an internal investigation evaluating policy, equipment, tactics, and training, Cohen said.

Due to the active and ongoing investigation, police said they would not release additional information at this time.

The shooting by a Santa Maria police officer on Thursday marked the second in less than seven weeks in the city.

In the late October incident, an officer shot a man, who was armed with a knife, after he refused to comply with police and tried to break into an occupied apartment.