An off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy suffering a mental health crisis was shot dead by Fontana police officers after he pointed a handgun at them on a golf course near his home, officials said Wednesday.
Fontana police officers responded to a call of shots being fired shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday and found the man, later identified as an off-duty deputy, on the Sierra Lakes Golf Club course with a handgun, according to police who did not identify the deputy.
The off-duty deputy pointed the gun at the officers as they tried to talk to him, prompting multiple officers to fire their weapons, police said. No other officers were hurt in the confrontation near the golf clubhouse.
Paramedics treated the unidentified man at the scene before taking him to a hospital, where he later died, according to law enforcement sources not authorized to discuss the incident.
The off-duty deputy lived in a home adjacent to the golf course and had suffered a mental health crisis, according to multiple law enforcement sources not authorized to discuss the incident. Those sources described the deputy as acting visibly distraught and likely under the influence of alcohol.
Fontana police had initially responded to a call of shots being fired and a possible domestic violence incident in the 16000 block of Colonial Drive and found the man who they believed had fired the shots nearby at the golf course, police said.
The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department did not release the deputy’s name but issued a statement.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is deeply saddened to hear of the tragic shooting incident involving our off-duty deputy who passed away yesterday,” the agency said Wednesday. “We are in close communication with Fontana Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department as they conduct their ongoing investigation. This incident is extremely difficult for the family, our personnel, and the officers involved.”
A union representing Los Angeles County sheriff‘s deputies mourned the loss and urged law enforcement officials to seek support when they need it.
“This is an absolute tragedy for our deputy, his family, the first responders, civilians present and everyone impacted,” said Richard Pippin, president of the Assn. of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. “ALADS is not shy on urging any person facing mental health issues to reach out for professional help and in our support for growing mental health networks within our community.”
Some witnesses told KTLA-TV Channel 5 that the deputy fired his weapon at a wall on his property and into the air on the golf course before officers arrived. At least one person on the golf course captured photos of officers confronting the deputy.
The shooting is being investigated by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Times staff writer Keri Blakinger contributed to this report.