A machete-wielding man was shot by Ventura County deputies at the Ventu Park Shopping Center in Thousand Oaks on the morning of October 24, after he was accused of threatening people at the complex. According to a report from FOX LA, the incident began just before 6:30 a.m. when the sheriff's office received calls about a man carrying a machete and making threats.
The deputies found the suspect and attempted to use a Taser, which was reportedly ineffective, after which the suspect fled into one of the businesses within the shopping center and deputies shot him when he allegedly threatened employees; the man is now hospitalized and in critical condition, the deputies gave the man aid right after the incident and paramedics transported him to the hospital, these details were provided by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. As part of their commitment to transparency, the department announced that body camera footage of the shooting will be released within the next 45 days as reported by both an official news release.
Further investigation by sheriff's deputies revealed that prior to the events at the shopping center, the same individual had used the machete to break a window at the Palm Garden Hotel before proceeding to the 76 Gas Station where he assaulted a man and stole his car, driving it to the shopping center where another confrontation occurred, as detailed in the Nixle report. The suspect then abandoned the car, confronted another victim, and vandalized the second victim's vehicle with the machete; no injuries were reported from the latter victim.
The Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau, alongside the East County Investigations Bureau and Thousand Oaks Police Department Patrol Services, are continuing the investigation into the incident, while the deputy involved has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol after such shootings, none of the deputies were injured during the incident and the Sheriff's office, acknowledging the gravity and the locality's trepidation, has avowed its dedication to provide further information as the inquiry progresses, the department has assured full cooperation with the District Attorney’s Office, if any public has information they are encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant Francisco Jauregui at (805) 384-4737 or Captain Rob Yoos for follow-up inquiries.
