Additional details released after fatal I-10 deputy-involved shooting

UPDATED: Saturday, April 10, 12:45 p.m., With Sheriff’s release of information.
UPDATED: Sunday, April 11, 5:36 p.m., With additional witness statements.

See Original Story below.

CABAZON, Calif. — Additional details continue to emerge after a tire iron-wielding man who was vandalizing vehicles and charged at a deputy was fatally shot on Interstate 10 near Cabazon Friday morning, April 9.

The fatal encounter, which happened in the Whitewater Cutoff area in an unincorporated area of Riverside County, led to the hours-long closure of the interstate and caused significant delays in travel times for area residents and commuters.

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Cabazon Sheriff Station deputies received a vandalism call for service around 8:45 a.m., Riverside Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Sergeant Lionel Murphy has since said of the deadly incident.

Responding deputies received information that the suspect, had intentionally broken the driver side window of a passing vehicle as it traveled on Whitewater Cutoff east of Whitewater Canyon Road and north of Interstate 10, according to the Sergeant; who said California Highway Patrol also responded due to the proximity of the nearby interstate.

Officials inspect a vehicle left heavily damaged by a man seen vandalizing the sedan with large rocks and a tire iron. It was not immediately known if the vehicle belonged to the suspect or another person. Reader submitted photo

“Before CHP’s arrival, a Sheriff’s Department K-9 Deputy, who was in the area of the call, saw the suspect vandalizing a vehicle that was stopped in the roadway on Whitewater Cutoff,” Murphy described.

“The suspect was using several objects, including a tire iron, to damage the vehicle,” continued Murphy. “The deputy contacted the suspect to stop the vandalism, but the suspect ignored his commands and walked away from the deputy toward the interstate 10-freeway with the tire iron in his possession.”

As the suspect continued onto the freeway, the deputy drove his marked patrol vehicle onto the interstate and positioned it in such a way as to stop traffic for the suspect’s safety.

The deputy then exited his patrol vehicle and ordered the suspect, who was then in the westbound lanes of traffic, to drop the weapon and to leave the roadway.

“Despite the deputy’s commands, the suspect charged toward the deputy with the tire iron and a deputy-involved shooting occurred,” Murphy described; adding that the suspect was struck by the deputy’s gunfire.

Despite life-saving measures performed by the deputies on scene and later by American Medical Response paramedics, the suspect succumbed to his gunshot wounds and passed away at the scene.

The suspect’s name has not been released pending further investigation and notification of the man’s family.

The tire iron used in the vandalism and attack was located at the scene and recovered as evidence, according to Murphy; who said no other citizens or deputies were injured during the incident.

“The guy was acting crazy. He wouldn’t listen to what (the deputy) was saying to him,” a woman who identified herself as “Sandy” later told RCNS.

“I hate that the man was killed over something seemingly so small, but I don’t think there was anything else (the deputy) could have done, under the circumstances,” Sandy continued.

“I’m just glad (the deputy) was there to ensure the safety of the public,” she added.

The involved deputy has been placed on administrative leave per Department policy and their name has not been released.

An Investigator from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office will lead this investigation, aided by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Force Investigations Detail.

The investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact District Attorney Investigator Moreno at (951) 955-5506 or Riverside Sheriff Investigator Moody at (951) 955-2777. Callers can refer to incident file number B210990002 and can remain anonymous.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.

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Original Story

CABAZON, Calif. — Details this afternoon are continuing to trickle in after a deadly shooting that has forced the hours-long closure of Interstate 10 near Cabazon this morning, Friday, April 9.

Although it is not yet known what led to the shooting, which happened in the Whitewater Cutoff area in an unincorporated area of Riverside County, authorities have confirmed that one person was killed after reportedly charging at a deputy while armed with a metal object, possibly a tire iron.

As of this report, interstate traffic remains backed up for several miles as investigators continue to gather details, information, and evidence of what led to the fatal encounter.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

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 30 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 18 grandchildren.