VIDEO: Suspect Shoots at CA Police Car as Civilian Rides Along

A female civilian on a police ride-along in Madera, CA, got a frightening introduction to law enforcement work as a suspect shot out the patrol car's windshield during a pursuit, reports KABC.

Madera police said the officer attempted to make a traffic stop early Sunday when the suspect driving a Mazda SUV sped off around 4:30 a.m. As the suspect weaved through the neighborhood, a passenger in the Mazda reached out the window and shot at the police cruiser, shattering a window and narrowly missing the officer and a civilian passenger, police said.

Damage from the gunfire forced the officer to pull off and police said the Mazda was found abandoned down the street along with a pistol.

The officer was not hurt while the passenger was hit by broken glass but will be OK. The cruiser was hit three times.

Police said the officer had only been patrolling solo for two weeks when the shooting happened.

"It is the stark reality of law enforcement," Lt. Gino Chiaramonte with the Madera Police Department said. "He kept it under control, still had cognitive process and at the same time still thought about his passenger and paid attention to what the suspect was doing."