Details Emerge in Deadly Temecula Officer-Involved Shooting

TEMECULA, CA – A man who was shot and killed by a Riverside County sheriff's deputy in Temecula on Tuesday had been fighting with a family member in the courthouse parking lot just prior to threatening the deputy with a knife, sheriff's officials say.

• SEE ALSO: Man Identified in Deadly Temecula Police Shooting

The deadly encounter happened around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday outside the probate courthouse in the 41000 block of County Center Drive, according to Deputy Mike Vasquez. A court services deputy was summoned to the scene upon a report of an altercation between a man and woman in the lot.

"The deputy responded to the location and encountered a male who was verbally abusive with a family member," Vasquez said.

A witness also described the man's behavior as violent and erratic to a local news station.

"He's just going berserck, hitting the steering wheel, socking everything [of the nearby vehicle]," Ivan Garcia told ABC7 News. "I could see the guy just kicking the door and throwing crap and just yelling at her."

The deputy tried to break up the argument and asked the man to follow his directions, but did not cooperate, according to Vasquez.

"Yeah, he just hit the cop in the head... and that's when the scuffle started, too," another witness told ABC7 News. "And then... he was on the ground that's when the cop opened fire."

"During the confrontation, the suspect brandished a knife, moved toward the deputy in a threatening manner, and an officer involved shooting occurred," he said.

Paramedics were immediately called to the location and first aid was rendered, but the suspect ultimately died in the parking lot, according to the sheriff's department.

"The involved deputy sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and was transported to a local area hospital where he received treatment for his injuries," Vasquez said.

That deputy, who was not identified, was placed on administrative leave per department policy.

Sheriff's officials say additional information in the case won't be released at this time due to the active investigation. Anyone who may have information about the incident was asked to call Central Homicide Investigator Navarrete at (951) 955-2777 or Temecula Police Department Investigator Pemberton at (951) 696-3000.

Main image: Patch file by Maggie Avants