COACHELLA: Deputy fires at, arrests wanted subject after foot pursuit

COACHELLA — A deputy shot at and later arrested a man who fled from him Saturday, Aug. 26. The early-morning, officer-involved shooting and arrest began in the in the 52-100 block and ended in the 51-800 block of Harrison Avenue, near Avenue 52, in Coachella.

The alleged suspect, who was later identified by officials as 35-year-old, Chad Willis Lisenby, of Coachella, was not hit by the gunfire and no other citizens or deputies were injured during the incident, Riverside Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Sergeant Chris Willison explained in a written press release after the arrest.

The incident began about 12:30 a.m., when members of the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau were conducting high visibility patrol in the city of Coachella. While conducting the patrol a deputy spotted and contacted Lisenby at a business in the 52-100 block of Harrison Avenue.

While interviewing Lisenby, the deputy conducted a records check and determined the man had three active warrants for his arrest. The warrants were for corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of narcotics-related paraphernalia, vandalism and two counts of failure to pay a fine.

All the charges related to Lisenby’s warrants were misdemeanors.

“As the deputy was going to place Lisenby under arrest, Lisenby ran away from the scene,” Willison explained. Lisenby fled northbound on Harrison Avenue and across Avenue 52 during the foot pursuit.

The deputy eventually located and cornered the fleeing man about 1:20 a.m., in an isolated area behind a business in the 51-800 block of Harrison Street.

“Lisenby refused numerous commands to surrender and an officer involved shooting occurred,” said Willison. After being shot at, Lisenby surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.

Officials did not specify if Lisenby was armed with a weapon at the time of the shooting or exactly what caused the deputy to discharge their weapon at the non-compliant man.

After his arrest, deputies booked Lisenby into the Riverside County jail in Indio for his three active warrants. He was not charged with any crimes related to fleeing from or resisting the deputy who made the arrest.

An online jail records search revealed Lisenby remains in custody, held on $5,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at the Indio Larson Justice Center Aug. 30.

As with all officer-involved shootings, investigators from the Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit responded and assumed the investigation. The deputy involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave per Department policy and their name will not be released at this time, according to Willison.

The investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Central Homicide Investigator Mullins at (951) 955-2777 or Investigator Burgie at (760) 863-8488. Callers can refer to incident file number ES172380003 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor 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 and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.