A 22-year-old California man who barricaded himself in his mother's home and is accused of shooting two police officers was found dead Thursday from a self inflicted gunshot wound, police say.
Around 1 p.m. Wednesday, at the 700 block of Del Rio Avenue in Encinitas, a woman called police to report that her son had become irate and drove off with her car after he found out she obtained a restraining order against him, ABC 10 News reports. The man returned to his mother's house around 3:30 p.m. and was met by officers who were trying to speak to him.
"After several minutes of negotiation with him, which was unsuccessful, and because of some statements he was making they deployed less lethal tear gas," San Diego County Sheriff's Department Capt. Duncan Fraser told ABC 10 News. "Unfortunately, the male returned fire, striking two deputies."
Once the man shot the cops he stayed and locked himself inside the house as SWAT teams and crisis negotiators from the county swarmed the scene. As negotiators were trying to get the shooter to surrender, the Red Cross provided shelter at a local community center for the 25 area residents who were evacuated because of police activity.
Around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, police sent in robots equipped with cameras to check on the suspect. He was found dead from a self inflicted gunshot ten minutes later by a SWAT team that entered the house, reports say.
One of the officers who was shot was treated for a wound to the forehead and was released, a bullet grazed his head. The other is in stable condition after undergoing surgery to a wound in his leg.
"A young strong deputy...with positive thoughts and a lot of prayers out there, he'll get through this," San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore told ABC 10 News, adding that doctors said he may have suffered serious nerve damage in his leg.
"It will take several days before we know the extent of the nerve damage," he said.
The identity of the gunman has not yet been released.
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