A routine traffic stop on Seventh Street near Lacy Street in Victorville turned into a deputy-involved shooting Tuesday night after an armed occupant of the vehicle tried to flee, according to authorities. The traffic stop took place at approximately 8:03 p.m. on October 13, and the shooting happened Tuesday night, sending one person to the hospital and prompting a hard closure of a major stretch of roadway while investigators combed the scene.
Deputies from the Victorville Station conducted the stop on Seventh Street near Lacy Street, according to VVNG. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Jenny Smith said that when an occupant of the vehicle attempted to flee while armed with a handgun, a deputy-involved shooting occurred. The individual was transported to a local hospital for treatment, though their condition was not provided, and no deputies were injured in the exchange.
Handgun Recovered, BMW Draws Scrutiny
Smith said the suspect’s handgun was recovered at the scene. A black BMW sedan was also stopped on Seventh Street in front of Del Taco and appeared to be part of the investigation, though its connection to the shooting was not detailed. Detectives and deputies additionally searched the area in front of a vacant building in a shopping center adjacent to the restaurant as they worked to piece together what happened.
Victorville city public works crews responded to help set up a hard road closure as the investigation unfolded, and Seventh Street remained closed between Tatum Road and Mojave Drive while authorities worked the scene. Smith said the investigation remained active and that additional information would be released as it becomes available.
Other 2020 Shootings
VVNG reported no injuries in an October 29, 2020, shooting and reported separate shootings on November 5.
Not an Isolated Case Regionally
Tuesday’s shooting also echoes a similar incident just days earlier in Kern County, where an 18-year-old man, Logan Reyes, was injured in an officer-involved shooting after fleeing a traffic stop on October 9. A Kern County sheriff’s deputy had attempted to stop the vehicle Reyes was driving at about 1:10 a.m., according to GV Wire. No deputies or other civilians were injured in that shooting, and Reyes was arrested and booked on suspicion of evading, resisting arrest, firearm-related offenses, and possession of a controlled substance while armed after being released from the hospital.
No such arrest or booking information has been released in connection with Tuesday’s shooting in Victorville. The investigation remains active, and officials have not said when Seventh Street is expected to fully reopen.
