TRAGEDY: Teen, 17, Shot, Killed By Santa Cruz Deputy Allegedly Beat Grandpa, Killed Kitten

PHOTO: A photo of the gun a 17-year-old suspect was allegedly wielding when he was shot by Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies.

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An allegedly armed 17-year-old boy was shot by deputies in Boulder Creek late Thursday night and died of his injuries early this morning, a Santa Cruz County sheriff’s spokesman said.

The boy, who has not been identified, allegedly beat his grandfather and killed a kitten before the shooting, sheriff’s Lt. Kelly Kent said.

Around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, deputies responded to a reported family dispute at a home in the 15000 block of Fern Flat Road, sheriff’s Lt. Kelly Kent said. Two deputies arrived and met with the boy’s grandparents at the home’s driveway.

The grandparents reported their grandson, who lives at the home, was alone inside breaking furniture and windows and had access to guns, Kent said. The boy was allegedly armed with a club, similar to one used in martial arts, that he beat his grandfather with, Kent said.

The grandfather was treated for his injuries in the alleged attack and did not need to visit a hospital, according to Kent. While inside the home the boy allegedly killed a kitten, the spokesman said.

The deputies set up a perimeter and established communication with the boy from outside the residence, according to Kent. Firefighters and an ambulance were staged nearby and hostage negotiators were called to the scene, he said.

About 45 minutes later, the boy emerged from the home carrying a shotgun and a rifle, which he pointed at one of the deputies, according to Kent. The deputies then shot at the boy, who was struck three times in the torso and once in the hand, Kent said.

The deputies rendered aid to the boy, who was conscious and talking when an ambulance arrived and took him to a helicopter that airlifted him to Stanford Hospital, according to Kent.

He was pronounced dead shortly before 4:30 a.m. today, Kent said. The deputies, whose names have not been released, were not injured in the shooting and have been placed on paid administrative leave, the spokesman said.

The involved deputies were a six-year veteran and a two-year veteran, according to Kent. Investigators are looking into the circumstances leading up to the incident, Kent said.

The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office is also conducting a separate investigation into the shooting, Kent said.

“This is a tragic case for everybody involved and my thoughts and prayers go out to the young man’s family as well as our deputy sheriffs involved in this case,” Sheriff Jim Hart said in a statement.

--Bay City News