New details released after fatal officer and deputy-involved shooting near Mt. Shasta

MT. SHASTA, Calif., — New details have been released after a deadly officer and deputy-involved shooting that ended the life of a reportedly suicidal man who officials say pointed a handgun at an officer and deputy last Friday, March 11.

According to new details released this morning by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, the officer and deputy had responded to a domestic violence call in the 2000 block of Sean Way, an unincorporated area of Siskiyou County south of Mt. Shasta, where they found the man holding a gun to his own head.

Despite “numerous attempts … to defuse and resolve the situation”, the man, since been identified as Darin E. Klep, 57, of Mt. Shasta, was fatally shot when he reportedly pointed his gun at the responding officials.

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As reported by SCNS last week, Shasta County sheriff’s deputies and Mt. Shasta police officers were dispatched to the residence around 9:53 p.m. after receiving the report of a domestic dispute.

Responding officials found Klep in the backyard of the residence with a handgun to his head, where a deputy began attempting to de-escalate the situation with Klep by initiating a conversation with him.

SEE RELATED: Details sparse following fatal officer & deputy-involved shooting near Mt. Shasta

“Mr. Klep was encouraged to put down the firearm, and numerous attempts were made to defuse and resolve the situation,” SCSO said in an updated release regarding the deadly encounter.

“Mr. Klep was non-responsive to requests to put down the firearm,” officials continued, “During the conversation, Mr. Klep pointed the handgun at law enforcement personnel at the scene and was shot.”

Officials at the scene immediately began rendering medical aid and Klep was rushed by ground ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Mt. Shasta where he later succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

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Officials went on to explain that the shooting investigation is being handled by the Critical Incident Team (CIT), a county-wide team comprised of trained investigators from local agencies in Siskiyou County, which includes the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, Yreka Police Department, Siskiyou County District Attorney’s Office, Weed Police Department, Mount Shasta Police Department, Etna Police Department, and CAL FIRE.

“In this particular case, the SCSO and the MSPD are not involved as investigators due to personnel involved in the (officer-involved shooting),” officials explained, saying, “Additional information surrounding the incident will be released in the future.”



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Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS), which act as stringer-news providers for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.

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.