The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is investigating a deputy-involved shooting that killed a man who was reportedly armed and behaving erratically in the Santa Ana River.
On Friday at 7:28 a.m., Riverside County Parks rangers called the sheriff's department for assistance at a cleanup site at the bottom of the Santa Ana River because rangers encountered a man who was armed with an unknown object.
When deputies from the Jurupa Valley Sheriff's Station arrived in the area of 34th Street and Crestmore Road, they located the man who was armed with a machete and a large metal pipe, according to a news release.
The officers ordered the man to drop his weapons, but he refused to comply.
Officers then used a “less-lethal device to get him to comply,” but the device was not effective, according to the news release. The type of “less-lethal device” used on the man is not known.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department declined to disclose the less-lethal method, saying the incident is under investigation.
Riverside County parks officials said they regularly conduct cleanups of debris and campsites along the riverbed. Park officials declined to say whether Friday morning's cleanup effort was aimed at a campsite along the river.
According to the sheriff's office, the man who was still armed with the machete “continued to behave erratically and aggressively” toward deputies and a deputy-involved shootout ensued.
It is unclear what prompted the officer to fire his weapon.
The man was struck by the officer's gunfire. No officers or rangers were injured during the shooting.
Officers provided medical assistance to the man until paramedics arrived. The man was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The identity of the deceased was not revealed.
The investigation is ongoing and no further details are available. The sheriff's department declined to release the name of the deputy involved in the shooting.
The sheriff's office said the deputy involved will be placed on paid administrative leave, according to department policy.
Riverside County District Attorney's Office investigators assigned to the Riverside Sheriff's Task Force Investigations Team are leading this investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this shooting is urged to contact Riverside County District Attorney Investigator Mario Moreno or Riverside County Sheriff's Chief Investigator Martin Alfaro at 951-955-2700.
