RIVERSIDE: Armed and barricaded shooting suspect arrested after stand-off
RIVERSIDE – Officers arrested a man who fired a weapon at an innocent eyewitness who attempted to intervene during a domestic disturbance Sunday, Jan. 22. After the shooting, the alleged suspect fled to a nearby residence where he barricaded himself inside the residence prompting a SWAT call-out.
The shooting happened in a parking lot at an AM/PM mini-mart in the 4900 block of La Sierra Avenue in Riverside. The stand-off happened after officers eventually tracked down the shooting suspect to a nearby residence in the 10700 block of Campbell Avenue in Riverside.
Officers later identified the man as Eric Lee Scott, 27, of Riverside.
Eric Scott was arrested after he allegedly fired a round at an innocent bystander during a domestic violence related incident.
After he was safely taken into custody, officers arrested Scott and he was booked into jail for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, endangering a child, and resisting arrest. He was also booked for two misdemeanor arrest warrants for driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.
The incident began shortly before 10 p.m., when City of Riverside police officers were dispatched to reports of a shooting that just occurred in the AM/PM parking lot.
Witnesses of the shooting who called 911 to report the incident told City of Riverside emergency dispatchers a neighboring employee had possibly been shot and was now hiding inside a business next to his.
Officers arrived at the location within minutes and quickly determined the employee had not been struck by the round fired at him. Officials later determined the round struck the exterior of the business.
Investigating officers learned several adult men and women had become “involved in a physical altercation,” according to a social media news release.
During the fight, the employee who had been witnessing the physical fight attempted intervene. As the employee was attempting to intervene “one of the adult males fired a single gunshot from a handgun at him,” the official explained.
After the suspect fire the round, he fled the location in the same vehicle he had arrived in.
Within minutes of the officers arrival, one of the women who had been present when the shooting happened returned to the scene and spoke with officers. The woman identified the shooting suspect to officers and explained the shooting was “the result of a domestic violence incident.”
Officers learned that after the shooting, Scott had fled to the nearby residence on Campbell Avenue. They also learned that in addition to the handgun Scott used to shoot at the employee who intervened during the initial incident, he was now possibly armed with a shotgun.
Officers responded to the Campbell Avenue residence and surrounded the home, where they could see Scott inside the home. Officers attempted to make contact with Scott using a PA system made numerous requests for him to exit the residence.
“(Scott) did not comply to…commands to exit and indicated his intent to commit ‘suicide by cop’, the Riverside police official wrote about the incident.
Based on the circumstances, the department’s METRO Team (SWAT) was called out and responded to the scene. A member of the department’s Emergency Negotiations Team also responded to the residence to assist with bringing the volatile situation to a safe and peaceful conclusion.
As the incident progressed, the negotiator engaged Scott on the phone and eventually convinced him to surrender to authorities outside the residence.
Scott was eventually taken into custody without further incident. At the conclusion of their initial investigation officers arrested Scoot and he was booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center for numerous charges related to the incident.
An online jail records search revealed Scott is being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Riverside Hall of Justice Jan. 25.
Anyone who has information about this incident or who witnessed the shooting is encouraged to immediately contact Riverside Police Officials at (951) 826-5700. Callers can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, Personnel and Background Investigations and he finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.