A Monterey County sheriff’s deputy survived a shooting Wednesday morning by a man who barricaded himself inside a Salinas residence, according to county authorities.
The deputy was involved in “a police-type action” at the time of the shooting, Sheriff Tina Nieto said at a news conference near the scene.
Nieto did not disclose the condition of the deputy or other details about the shooting but noted that “the deputy is out of the woods right now.”
“Obviously we can’t put out all the information,” she said, “but that person is going to be OK.”
Local media, including Salinas-based KION-TV, have reported that the deputy was serving an eviction notice when he was fired upon. Nieto neither confirmed nor denied the reports.
“We’re not releasing that right now, but the media is already putting it out there,” she said. “We have an investigation going on, and the one thing we don’t want to do is put out bad information.”
The shooting took place near the intersection of East Marketand Sun streets in Salinas in a commercial area that includes car dealerships, mechanics and parts shops. Nick Pasculli, Monterey County communications director, said the shooting happened around 9 a.m.
Pasculli said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon that the deputy “was out of surgery.”
County officials did not confirm the type of gun used. A local television station posted video indicating that a few rounds were fired.
Chief Deputy Eddie Anderson of the Sheriff’s Office confirmed in an interview with local media that multiple shots were fired, but did not provide a count.
He added there was a “huge law enforcement presence” that included nearby police departments and the FBI.
Pasculli confirmed that the suspect remained barricaded inside an apartment complex.
“We’re trying to safely contact the suspect with no one getting hurt,” Nieto said.
No other information about the suspect was available.
A shelter-in-place lockdown order has been in place for the immediate area since shortly after 9 a.m.
“I know that people are curious as to what’s going on,” Anderson said. “The safest place for you to be is in your home or the furthest away from the area as possible.”