Armed off-duty LASD deputy dies after being shot by Fontana police on golf course
Fontana CA August 17 2023 An armed off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy has died after being shot by police at a golf course in Fontana, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is deeply saddened to hear of the tragic shooting incident involving our off-duty deputy who passed away,” the agency said in a statement. “We are in close communication with Fontana Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department as they conduct their ongoing investigation. This incident is extremely difficult for the family, our personnel, and the officers involved.”
The deceased deputy’s name was not immediately released.
Police initially responded Tuesday afternoon to a report of shots fired at a home in the 16000 block of Colonial Drive.
After a man opened fire inside the home, he walked away from the scene with two handguns and officers later found him near the Sierra Lakes Golf Course, according to the Fontana Police Department. No one was reported injured in that shooting.
“When I came out, he had just walked over to the golf course and you hear the gunshots,” neighbor Myesha Dowe said. “I’m in awe because over here nothing like that happens.”
At some point when officers confronted the off-duty deputy on the golf course, police opened fire. The deputy was taken to a hospital suffering at least one gunshot wound.
Whether the deputy opened fire was unclear. No officers were injured in the confrontation.
Additional details about what led to the police shooting were not available.
The confrontation between police and the deputy apparently occurred on the course next to a clubhouse, according to footage from AIR7 HD.
Neighbors who spoke with ABC7 on Tuesday identified the suspect only as a law enforcement officer. They added that he helped keep an eye on the neighborhood. Friends said he was apparently having some sort of mental issue.
“We do have a few neighbors that are police officers that do serve our community,” Dowe said. “I thought we would be safe… I work in the health care industry and mental health is really real. It really is. No matter who you are. You could be the president, it’s real.”
