BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- On Friday, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Incident Review Board convened to consider the discharge of a weapon by Deputy Patrick McNeal that occurred on March 9, which resulted in the wounding of Adolfo Rivera, 18.

What started out as a traffic accident in East Bakersfield ended with a foot chase through two homes and a suspect shot by deputies, with two to four other suspects still on the loose.

On March 9, Kern Co. Sheriff's deputies got a call about a traffic accident at Mt. Vernon Avenue and Oregon Drive around 9:40 p.m. with reports of shots fired.The crash was between a Nissan Sentra and a Chevrolet pickup truck.

Deputies were told information that one of the occupants of the Nissan had fired a weapon into the air at the scene of the collision. The occupants of the Nissan fled the scene on foot prior to deputies’ arrival. The driver of the truck remained at the scene and declined medical aid.

A records check showed the Nissan had been reported stolen to the Bakersfield Police Department. Deputies began searching the area for the suspects.

Deputies located a suspect, identified as Rivera, in the 2300 Block of Niles Street. Rivera ran southbound from the deputies through the parking lot of the Ranch Market, deputies said. Rivera continued running southbound through several residential yards, jumping fences, deputies said.

During the chase, deputies said, Rivera fired at them in the 2300 block of Monterey Street.

Rivera forced entry into an occupied residence by climbing through a window at 2317 1/2 Lake St. and subsequently took a telephone, deputies said. The telephone was later recovered.

Rivera fled that residence and entered another occupied residence at 2333 Kentucky St. by kicking the front door open, deputies said.

The occupants at the Kentucky Street residence chased Rivera out of their residence without incident, deputies said. Deputies located Rivera fleeing the residence at 2333 Kentucky St. Deputies said Rivera refused orders to stop and continued to flee toward another residence.

Deputies said McNeal fired two rounds from his handgun, striking Rivera once in the buttocks. This stopped Rivera and he was arrested, deputies said.

Rivera received medical treatment at Kern Medical Center for his injury. Rivera was later booked into the Kern County Jail on four counts of assault with a firearm on a peace officer and two counts of residential burglary.

No one else was injured during the incident.

Deputies have not found the firearm they said Rivera was carrying. The sheriff’s office would like to remind the public that if they locate a firearm, they should not touch the weapon and instead immediately report it to law enforcement.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office can be contacted at 661-861-3110.

After a review of all facts in this case, the Incident Review Board determined that the force used by McNeal in this incident was within departmental policy.