Lake Elsinore Police Officers shoot and injure a domestic violence suspect. (contributed photo)
Officers responding to a domestic violence call today in Lake Elsinore ended up shooting the suspect when he became violent towards the officers, Deputy Albert Martinez said in a written report.
The incident happened just before 9 a.m. on Monday May 21 in the 33000 block of Olive Tree Lane.
When officers from the Lake Elsinore Police Department arrived, the victim reported that her estranged ex-boyfriend had just assaulted her.
The victim also told officers the suspect was still inside of her home and was acting extremely agitated, erratic and making threats to harm himself, Deputy Martinez added.
Officers surrounded the residence and made several attempts to resolve the matter in a peaceful manner. Fearing the man may have hurt himself , officers entered the residence and the suspect became violent towards the officers, a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department report stated.
One of the officers fired his service weapon, hitting the suspect and injuring him. Officers immediately provided medical assistance to the suspect and called for Calfire and an ambulance to provide medical treatment.
Deputy Martinez said the suspect was transported to a local hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
He was later identified as 28-year-old Lake Elsinore resident Alejandro Lopez.
“The suspect will be arrested,” Deputy Martinez explained. “Regarding the charges, we don’t have those right now since the investigation is still on-going.”
The deputies involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave per department policy.
Investigators from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit were called out to assume the investigation.
Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is urged to contact Investigator Corey with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Homicide Unit at 951-955-2777 or Investigator Cornett with the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Stations at 951-245-3300.
Stephanie D. Schulte is a writer/photographer with SWRNN. She can be reached at stephanie.schulte@swrnn.com.
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This is so funny I can’t stop laughing. The cops feared the suspect may injure himself so they shot him so he wouldn’t get injured. I may be wrong about this but I always heard a gun shot will provide a serious injury. So is it the cops didn’t want the guy to injure himself so they did for him instead or did they just want the paid time off? “Fearing the man may have hurt himself”,One of the officers fired his service weapon, hitting the suspect and injuring him.
The only thing that makes any sense to me about this foly is it completely explains why the woman involved is his “Ex Girlfriend”.
probably should have been written, Fearing the man may have hurt himself or others….
No mention that lopez had a weapon, so I wonder, would bean bags, taser or pepper spray have been more appropriate to force the man to comply with the officers wishes? I would think so, on the surface that is.