DELANO, Calif. — A man has died and a woman was injured after they were shot during an officer-involved shooting east of Delano Friday morning.
According to the Tulare County Sheriff's Office, around 4:19 p.m. on Thursday, deputies received a 911 call from a man who said his son had been attacked in front of their home on Hernandez Street in Richgrove. TCSO says the 18-year-old victim told deputies two men and a woman came to his house, attacked him and made threats. The victim was taken to the hospital by a family member, where he was treated and later released.
At 10:55 p.m., TCSO says deputies received another 911 call from the same house in Richgrove stating someone shot at the house and a bullet had gone through the window. TCSO says a second person called 911 and reported that the drive-by shooting and the earlier attack were related.
Around 12:30 a.m. on Friday, TCSO deputies allegedly tracked down the car believed to have been involved in the attack and drive-by to a Best Western in Delano. Deputies were then able to learn the room the suspects were in.
TCSO says deputies knocked on the door to the room repeatedly, asking them to come out. TCSO says Delano Police officers were on-scene at the same time to help TCSO deputies make contact with the suspects.
According to TCSO, after several minutes of the deputies knocking, the male suspect jumped out of the back window. TCSO says shots were fired by a Delano Police officer. The man was hit and taken to the hospital, where he later died.
According to TCSO, deputies inside the hotel continued knocking on the hotel room door and asking the suspects to come out. As the encounter between the Delano Police officer and man was going on, TCSO says a woman swung the hotel door open while two TCSO deputies were inside the hallway. TCSO says a shot was fired, hitting a woman in the hip. She was taken to a local hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, according to TCSO.
According to TCSO, the Delano Police officer involved is a 10-year veteran of the department, while the TCSO deputy involved is a two-year veteran of the department.
TCSO says the deputy has been placed on Paid Administrative leave per department policy pending an investigation by the Porterville Police Department.
TCSO says the identity of the man who was killed is not being released until family is notified. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed.
