Early Sunday morning in Riverside County, a burglary report escalated to a deputy-involved shooting after an alleged burglar, armed with a knife, was shot by a responding officer, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department reports. Around 2:45 a.m., deputies arrived on the scene at the 49000 block of State Highway 74 following a call from a person claiming to be hiding from an intruder inside their home. Deputies encountered an unsecured door, which allowed them to enter the residence and confront the suspect.
The person who called the police was not harmed, and deputies were able to detain one individual without incident. However, the situation took a turn when a second suspect emerged from the back of the residence brandishing a knife. Despite commands from the deputies to drop the weapon, the suspect refused, consequently leading to the shooting. According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the injured suspect was provided with medical aid at the scene and later taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The second detained individual was taken for questioning and later let go. No other injuries were reported in this burglary-turned-shooting incident. The identity of the shot suspect has been withheld, and the deputy involved has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is the standard protocol in such cases. The names of the deputies involved in the incident are also being withheld at this time.
The Riverside County District Attorney's Office will be spearheading the ongoing investigation, assuring a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Anyone with further information has been urged to contact Investigator J.R. Ferrer at the District Attorney's office or Master Investigator Martin Alfaro with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Meanwhile, the Media Information Bureau is managing any media requests related to the event.
