A California sheriff’s deputy has died and another is injured after they were shot during a standoff
By Jenn Selva, Deanna Hackney and Hollie Silverman, CNN
A sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed and a second deputy was wounded during a standoff at a California home Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
“While reporting to a standoff here in Wasco, one of our brave Kern County Sheriff’s Deputies was killed-in-action and one other was shot and wounded,” Wasco Mayor Alex Garcia said in a statement.
Deputies responded to a home after receiving calls of a possible shooting and potentially people wounded in the residence at around 1 p.m. PT, Lt. Joel Swanson with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office said during a press briefing following the shooting.
The suspect began shooting from inside the home as soon as police arrived, but the deputies took cover and were not struck at that time, according to Swanson.
A SWAT team was called and the neighborhood was put on lockdown as law enforcement attempted to approach the house just before 3 p.m., Swanson said.
As they approached, the suspect again opened fire and struck the two deputies, the lieutenant said.
Video from CNN affiliate KBAK showed law enforcement quickly rolling an injured person on a stretcher out of the scene. The deputies were both taken to a hospital for treatment, Swanson told reporters.
The standoff continued and law enforcement later shot the suspect, who was taken to the hospital for treatment, according to Swanson. The suspect has not been named and police said the investigation is ongoing. The deputies have yet to be publicly identified as of Monday morning.
Condolences from both the mayor and the district attorney’s office followed the shooting.
“My heart goes out to the families of both the deputies. Nothing can prepare us for tragedies such as these,” Mayor Garcia said in his statement, thanking first responders for their courage. “In an instant our lives can change forever. I pray that God surrounds these families with his love and gives them the strength to make it through this devastating time.”
The Kern County District Attorney’s office said in a tweet, “Our deepest condolences to family, friends & fellow deputies of the KC Deputy Sheriff who was killed in the line of duty today. We also pray for a speedy recovery for the second deputy wounded. A tremendous tragedy & loss for @KernCoSheriff & our community. Our hearts are broken.”
Wasco is in the San Joaquin Valley, about 30 miles northwest of Bakersfield.
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