Deputies Involved In East County Traffic-Stop Shooting ID'd

EL CAJON, CA — Authorities Wednesday publicly identified two sheriff's deputies involved in an on-duty shooting in El Cajon that left a vehicle-theft suspect and a police officer wounded.

San Diego County sheriff's Deputies David Lovejoy and Jonathon Young opened fire on 31-year-old Erik Talavera last Wednesday night when he allegedly confronted them with a knife in his hand and refused to drop it during a multi-agency traffic stop in the 1100 block of Decker Street, according to the El Cajon Police Department.

Talavera was hospitalized in stable condition. Also suffering non-life- threatening injuries during the encounter was a National City police detective assisting in the enforcement operation.

The events that led to the gunfire began when undercover investigators with the San Diego Regional Auto Theft Task Force requested assistance from uniformed sheriff's personnel to conduct a stop on a van pulling a stolen trailer, ECPD Lt. Randy Soulard said.

When Talavera got out of his car after being pulled over about 10:15 p.m., the deputies initially believed the dark-colored knife he was holding might have been a handgun, according to sheriff's officials.

Authorities have not disclosed exactly how the National City police officer, whose name has not been released, wound up with a minor bullet wound to the leg during the encounter with Talavera.

Police did not report, however, that any personnel at the scene other than Lovejoy and Young fired their guns.

Lovejoy has been with the Sheriff's Department for eight years, and Young for about six. As is standard protocol in cases of law enforcement shootings, they will serve administrative assignments until they are cleared to return to field duty, officials said.

— City News Service