CITRUS HEIGHTS, CALIFORNIA | PUBLIC SAFETY | November 7, 2026

Quick Take

• A 2023 police chase on Interstate 80 ended when the driver hit a motorcyclist, then went after him with a knife.
• Two CHP officers and a sheriff’s K9 deputy shot and killed the driver, 36-year-old Zachary Wolffscott of Oakland.
• The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office has since finished its independent review and found the shooting lawful.

What’s happening?

Dashcam video from a deadly 2023 freeway shooting is going viral again. It shows the final seconds of a chase that ended with a man armed with a knife approaching an injured motorcyclist lying on Interstate 80.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office says the driver, Zachary Wolffscott, ignored repeated commands to stay in his car. The video shows him moving across the eastbound lanes with a knife raised as a K9 deputy yells at him to get on the ground.

The deputy fired two shots and Wolffscott fell. Officials say he got back up and lunged at the motorcyclist, trying to stab him in the torso. The deputy then fired four more shots, a CHP motorcycle officer fired three, and a second CHP officer fired one.

Where and when?

The chase started at about 12:20 p.m. on Sunday, November 5, 2023. A CHP motorcycle officer tried to pull over a silver Toyota Prius for a traffic violation near the Norwood Avenue exit. When the driver took off east on I-80, a sheriff’s K9 deputy and another CHP officer joined the pursuit.

The Prius hit a man riding a motorcycle just east of Greenback Lane near Citrus Heights, and the car was left disabled. Investigators later recovered a six-inch blade at the scene. Part of the freeway stayed closed for more than 10 hours while they worked.

Who feels it most?

The motorcyclist was an uninvolved driver who was simply on the freeway at the wrong moment. He was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and survived. Officials said the officers moved in to help him right after the shooting.

Wolffscott was taken to a hospital and died there. The coroner listed the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds. No officers or deputies were hurt.

What should you do?

If you see police lights coming up behind you on a freeway, move to the right and give the vehicles plenty of space. Chases can end suddenly, and cars or debris can spread across several lanes.

If you come upon a crash scene with officers present, stay in your vehicle unless they tell you otherwise, and follow their directions. Do not stop to film in active lanes.

What comes next?

The deputy was placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard after a shooting. The sheriff’s office released the video in December 2023.

Acting as an independent agency, the district attorney’s office reviewed reports, video, lab results and the coroner’s findings. It concluded that the shooting by CHP Officers Timothy Meiller and Joseph Lopez and Deputy Mathew Moreno was lawful, so no criminal charges will be filed. The review looked only at criminal liability. It did not address questions about department policy, training or tactics.

By the Numbers

Detail	Figure
Pursuit start	About 12:20 p.m.
Total shots fired	10
Knife blade length	6 inches
Freeway closure	10+ hours

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