San Diego County Sheriff’s (SDSO) deputies tackled and arrested a man on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a sawed-off shotgun after a brief stand-off in Spring Valley Friday.
The deputies were dispatched to the 3600 block of Bancroft Drive shortly before 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving for a report of someone who was armed and suspicious, according to Lt. Dave Schaller.
Witnesses reported seeing an African-American man brandishing a sawed-off shotgun in the area of Bancroft Drive and Kenwood Drive, Schaller said. But it took deputies about 30 minutes to find him. At about 9:20 p.m., Dontel Wallace, 26, was spotted by a deputy who was traveling northbound on Bancroft Drive. Wallace was walking away from a taco shop when he saw the deputy make a U-turn to return toward him.
Wallace briskly walked away and attempted to hide behind a large dumpster, according to Schaller.
As two deputies approached the dumpster, they heard the sound of a shotgun racking a round. The deputies took cover while giving Wallace commands to drop the shotgun.
The deputies then heard what sounded like the shotgun being thrown into the dumpster, followed by Wallace stepping out from behind the dumpster and walking away with his hands up, Schaller said.
Wallace refused to comply with the deputies’ orders to stop, so the deputies ran after Wallace, tackled him to the ground, and took him into custody. Deputies then recovered the loaded shotgun with a chambered round from the dumpster.
The suspect was booked into the San Diego Central Jail early Friday morning on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a weapon, resisting an officer, possession of a short barreled shotgun, and other related charges.
He was being held on $170,000 bail and was scheduled to be arraigned in El Cajon Superior Court Wednesday.
— City News Service