Sheriff’s deputies fatally shot a man who barricaded himself inside a Santee home and reportedly fired at them when he attempted to leave the house, officials said Monday.
The department responded to a call at about noon on Sunday about an assault with a firearm and criminal threats in the 9000 block of Willowgrove Ave. and later called in a SWAT team, said the San Diego Police Department, which is handling the investigation.
Deputies attempted to contact the suspect by phone, but he refused to communicate and remained barricaded inside the residence. The sheriff’s department tried to negotiate with the suspect for several hours, but he refused to leave the home.
At some point they heard a gunshot from inside the residence, leading deputies to believe the suspect may have shot himself. They forced open a door and used a drone to locate him to see if he needed medical attention.
Deputies then used chemical agents to drive the suspect out of the house, police said.
“The suspect exited through the front door and fired rounds at the deputies. The rounds struck the armored vehicle parked in front of the residence,” police said.
Police said three deputies fired their weapons and struck the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. His name and age were not immediately available.
The deputies who fired their weapons have been employed by the sheriff’s office for about 15, 11 and 9 years. All three were equipped with body cameras, which were activated during the shooting. Their names were not released. The suspect was also not immediately identified.
It was unclear what prompted the initial standoff.
Authorities asked anyone with information to call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293, or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
