A man armed with a blood-covered knife was shot by San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies on Saturday after he climbed out of the California Aqueduct and refused to drop the weapon, according to the agency. The confrontation unfolded at Main Street and Escondido Avenue in Hesperia, where deputies had first attempted to pull the man from the water using a rope before he grabbed a nearby ladder and made it out on his own.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff, Hesperia station deputies were dispatched Saturday to reports of an adult male armed with a blood-covered knife near the aqueduct. Deputies contacted the man and tried to rescue him from the water, but once he was out, he refused to drop the knife and advanced toward them. Deputies then opened fire, striking him with gunfire, and deputies and fire department personnel provided medical aid before he was airlifted to a trauma center, where he continues to receive care. No deputies or other individuals were injured during the incident, the sheriff's office said.
Why the Rescue Attempt Turned Into a Shooting
The California Aqueduct's steep, slippery concrete banks and swift currents make it nearly impossible for someone to climb out without assistance or specialized ladders, according to the Press-Enterprise. That geography helps explain why deputies first tried a rope rescue when they located the man in the water, rather than confronting him directly. It was only after he grabbed a nearby ladder and climbed out on his own that the encounter escalated, ending with deputies firing on him when he refused to drop the knife and moved toward them.
The scene remained active following the shooting, and the Sheriff's Specialized Investigations Division has assumed the investigation, which is ongoing. Within the sheriff's department, deputy-involved shootings are handled by the Specialized Investigations Division's Homicide Detail, while a separate internal affairs review examines the deputies' actions, the department notes. Because the man was armed with a knife rather than being unarmed, primary jurisdiction over the probe stays with county investigators rather than shifting to state oversight under Assembly Bill 1506, which mandates California Department of Justice review only in shootings that kill unarmed civilians.
A Canal With a Long, Dangerous History
This is not the first emergency at this stretch of the aqueduct. In September 2017, a 24-year-old driver drowned at the same Main Street and Escondido Avenue location after her vehicle breached a fence and crashed into the canal, as reported by CBS Los Angeles. That death prompted family calls for Hesperia city leaders to install stronger safety barriers along the waterway.
The 444-mile aqueduct, managed by the California Department of Water Resources, has claimed more than 100 lives over an 11-year span, including eight drowning deaths in San Bernardino County's Victor Valley region in 2017 alone, per the Press-Enterprise's 2018 reporting. Just last Sunday, on August 9, emergency crews rescued a man from the same Hesperia canal after he fell in while trying to retrieve a fishing pole, according to Victor Valley News. San Bernardino County Fire Department crews regularly train for these kinds of water rescues, using rope bags, inflatable boats, and rescue swimmers as part of California Regional Task Force 6.
Open Questions and How to Report Information
Several details remain unclear, including the man's identity and current medical condition, why he was carrying a blood-covered knife, and whether an earlier assault or victim prompted the initial call to deputies. The exact distance and demeanor of the man as he advanced toward deputies after leaving the water has also not been detailed by investigators.
Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling or texting We-Tip at 844-909-3006, while witnesses are asked to contact the Sheriff's Specialized Investigations Division at 909-890-4904. Reports can also be filed online at mobile.catapultems.com/sbcsd/sites, and the incident has been assigned case number 192605267. The sheriff's department is headquartered at 655 E. 3rd St. in San Bernardino and says additional details will be released as they become available.
The shooting adds to a string of high-stakes deputy encounters in Hesperia in recent years, including a fatal pursuit shooting in March 2024. Homicide detectives have also worked violent cases near the same Escondido Avenue corridor, including the August 2024 arrest of two suspects after a 19-year-old man was found dead in a field near Sultana Street, according to Victor Valley News.
