Shots fired send officers scrambling into Hemet neighborhood

HEMET — Several people were detained but later released after Hemet police officers reported hearing gunshots near the east alley of Latham and Hamilton avenues, Wednesday evening, April 10. Officials did not locate or recover any weapons, according to sources at the scene.

Officers who heard the gunfire were reportedly on a call involving a man who last weekend fatally shot a dog that  became aggressive with him and his service dog at an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Latham Ave. Officers had responded to the location after residents at the complex reported the man was wandering the location while armed with a gun. Investigating officers later determined the man was carrying a flashlight.

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As patrol officers and Gang Task Force members were finishing their investigation at the apartment complex and were preparing to leave at around 8:45 p.m., several gunshots rang out less than one block away.

Officers from around the city converged on the area where the gunshots were heard and quickly located a group of men in an alleyway near Latham and Hamilton avenues. Although one of the men reportedly became uncooperative with officers, the officials – armed with rifles, shotguns, and other lethal and less-lethal weapons – detained a group of about six subjects without incident.

While several officers interviewed the detained men, others began searching several vehicles parked in the alley, as well as the surrounding area. However, witnesses at the scene later said their search did not uncover any weapons or evidence of the shooting.

SEE RELATED: Many questions remain after Hemet dog fatally shot

All those detained were later released and Hemet PD’s investigation is ongoing. As of this report, Hemet PD had not yet responded to a request for further details regarding the incident.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta 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, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s 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.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.