FONTANA, CALIFORNIA: An off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy was fatally shot during an encounter with police officers at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club on Tuesday, August 15. Alejandro Diaz was shot and killed in Fontana, Southern California.
Given the circumstances, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has taken charge of the investigation, as per a pre-existing agreement with the Fontana Police Department.
Who was Alejandro Diaz?
Alejandro Diaz, 45, was a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy who tragically lost his life during an encounter with police officers at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana, Southern California.
"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," the agency said in a statement, per Daily Mail. "This incident is extremely difficult for the family, our personnel, and the officers involved."
How did Alejandro Diaz die?
At around 4 pm on August 15, the Fontana police received a report about a shooting at a home on Colonial Drive, near the Sierra Lakes Golf Club.
According to Officer Daniel Romero, a Police Department spokesman, Diaz's wife told the police that he had fired a gun at a wall inside their house, but fortunately, no one was hurt.
Afterward, Diaz left the home with a gun. People later saw a man with a gun near the Sierra Lakes clubhouse, which was close to his home. Fontana police then confronted Diaz, which led to the tragic outcome.
"They arrived and confronted the subject, who was armed," Romero told CBS. Romero said Diaz raised a gun toward officers and they fired.
"The suspect was hit. He went down, he was treated by (paramedics) at the scene and transported to a local hospital in an unknown condition," Romero said.
A video shared online appears to capture the exact moment when officers fired shots at Diaz. The footage depicts multiple officers approaching Diaz while he was on the ground. As he turned around, visible puffs of smoke emanated from their guns, and he subsequently fell to the ground.
What neighbors said about Alejandro Diaz
According to NBC4, a resident named Myesha Dowe stated that the deputy lived in a nearby home adjacent to the golf course. She mentioned that Diaz was a good neighbor and the shooting came as a sudden and shocking event.
"He was in the house arguing or talking to someone inside, shot at the wall, and then took off, ran into the golf course and just started shooting, shooting up everything, scaring the golfers, shooting at the police," she said.
"It was bad. Seems like mental health is real. He lost his edge and just started shooting up things in the neighborhood. This is very shocking to me."
