HEMET, CA – Late Tuesday night, Riverside County authorities fatally shot a male suspect who allegedly opened fire on deputies and was also reportedly wearing body armor. The incident occurred in a Hemet neighborhood.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office had responded to a call regarding a physical altercation between family members in the house on the 26300 block of Jepson Court just past 11:40 p.m. The female victim of this altercation had reportedly sustained injuries.
Upon arrival, officers found the suspect to be uncooperative and unwilling to interact with them despite their attempts to make contact with those involved in the domestic incident. The suspect retreated inside the residence and allegedly opened fire on the deputies using an assault rifle.
The suspect, still garbed in body armor, exited the residence with his weapon and fired a second round of shots at deputies. This sparked a deputy-involved shooting, as informed by the Sheriff’s Department.
Shortly after the exchange, the suspect was wounded by the return fire from deputies and immediately transferred to a nearby hospital. After arriving at the hospital for treatment, he was eventually pronounced dead.
The female victim was treated on-site for her injuries, which were non-life-threatening.
Departmental policy dictates that any officer involved in a shooting is placed on paid administrative leave, and the deputy involved in this shooting incident has been put on leave accordingly. No deputies were injured during the incident.