King City officers fire back at armed robbery suspect who shot at them after Highway 101 pursuit.

A man who reportedly shot at officers during a pursuit in South County is expected to survive after police fired back on Monday, June 3.

According to King City Police, three people were robbed at gunpoint on S. First Street between Lonoak Road and Division Street at 5:30pm. The suspect stole the victims’ phones and wallets before getting into a vehicle with a woman then speeding off.

The suspect’s vehicle was located shortly afterward by Greenfield Police traveling north on Highway 101, who attempted to pull him over, but the driver failed to yield, according to a statement from the King City Police Department.

King City Police officers took over the pursuit, which ended near the Front Street exit in Soledad around 7:24pm. The male suspect, identified as Armando Garcia Rodriguez, 36, then stepped out of the vehicle on the passenger’s side with a gun in his hand and fired four times at officers, according to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.

Two officers returned fire, striking Rodriguez once. He was taken to an area hospital and is expected to survive. The officers were uninjured.

The driver of the vehicle was a woman who reportedly said she had no idea Rodriguez was going to commit a robbery, and then threatened to kill her if she stopped during the chase.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office has taken over the investigation, as is protocol in officer-involved shootings.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the King City Police Department at 385-4848, Sgt. Joshue Partida at 386-5988 or jpartida@kingcity.com, or the WeTip line at 1-800-78-CRIME.