Sheriff's deputies in San Bernardino killed a man Thursday believed to have been involved in the fatal shooting of a 42-year-old bounty hunter at a Moreno Valley motel.
Initial indications were that Chad James Green, 41, of Riverside, died when law enforcement officers attempted to take him into custody in the late morning hours at the Days Inn on South Business Center Drive, just off of Waterman Avenue, authorities said.
A San Bernardino police spokesman initially confirmed to reporters at the scene that the person killed was Green, but authorities later backed off, saying only that the shooting was linked to the Moreno Valley killing and the suspect would have to be formally identified by the coroner's office.
According to San Bernardino police, who are handling the investigation, deputies from the Riverside and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Departments contacted the subject at the location, culminating in gunfire and his death. No deputies or civilians were injured.
It was unclear how many shots were fired or what prompted deputies to shoot. Police said two weapons were found on the suspect, but authorities did not say whether the man fired any shots.
According to San Bernardino police, deputies were outside the hotel when the suspect came out of a second-story room and walked to the parking lot. Deputies ordered the man to surrender but he refused and was shot as he tried to flee, police said.
A woman who was with the suspect was detained for questioning, authorities said.
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About 7 p.m. Tuesday, James Black, a supervising agent with Lake Elsinore-based U.S. Fugitive Recovery Service International, located Green at a motel in the 24000 block of Sunnymead Boulevard, just south of the Moreno Valley (60) Freeway, with the intent of taking him into custody for apparent bond violations.
Michelle Black, his wife, was shattered by the news.
"I would say it was a bit of a relief, but at the same time it does't bring my husband back to us," she said. "I've been asking people to pray that my husband is resting in peace and that my children and I are given the strength to make it through this."
During the encounter, Green allegedly shot the father of five to death, according to Riverside County sheriff's officials.
Dan Escamilla with U.S. Fugitive Recovery said Green jumped from a third-story window to make his escape.
Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Rick Espinoza said deputies converged on the motel minutes later and found Black critically wounded. The victim was taken to nearby Riverside University Medical Center, where he died a short time later.
Within hours, detectives identified Green as the alleged perpetrator, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, with a warning that he should be considered "armed and dangerous," Espinoza said.
According to Escamilla, Black served in the U.S. Marine Corps, deploying to Iraq as an enlisted infantryman. After multiple overseas deployments, he rose through the non-commissioned ranks, earning his lieutenant's bars before leaving the military. Escamilla said Black later worked as a private contractor in Afghanistan, then returned to the U.S., where he became a licensed fugitive recovery agent and private investigator.
Court records show Green has a criminal history spanning several decades, with convictions for auto theft, felony vandalism and felony evading.
A gofundme account has been created for Black.
NBCLA's Hetty Chang contributed to this report.
