Suspect Killed, Officer Wounded in Shoot-Out

A suspected drug dealer was shot to death and a police officer wounded in the leg Thursday night during a shoot-out at a Santa Ana home, a police spokesman said. Lt. Robert Jordan of the Santa Ana Police Department said the unidentified officer was in good condition at Mercy General Hospital with a gunshot wound to the left knee. He said police officers shot and killed the suspected drug dealer, also unidentified, at the house at 1805 W. Berkeley St. The shooting began about 6:50 p.m., he said.

After the shooting, SWAT officers continued to search for another person. No one was found, however, and police ended the search about 10:30 p.m., Jordan said.

Drug Purchase Alleged

Lt. Greg Cooper, the SWAT tactical team commander, said the residence had been under surveillance by undercover drug agents for the past week. He said the agents had purchased drugs from the dead suspect earlier in the evening.

Cooper said the agents returned a few minutes later with a search warrant to arrest the man. When eight to 10 officers surrounded the house, the suspect shot through the window of the door, wounding the police officer.

Cooper said about 10 shots were fired during the gun battle. He said the man was killed inside the house, near the backdoor. But he said no determination had been made as to which officer killed the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect’s handgun and a small amount of drugs were confiscated.

Police also fired tear gas inside the house, and when a woman and small girl came outside, they were driven away in a squad car for questioning, Cooper said. He added that the woman was not involved in the gun battle.

Clara Feckey, 76, a next-door neighbor, said she heard at least seven shots fired “that sounded like boards smashing together.” Feckey said she and her husband, John, were sitting at their house at 1801 W. Berkeley St. in the dark as the SWAT squad surrounded the residence.

Lived There a Month

Clara Feckey said a family, which included two men, a woman and a small girl, had lived in the house for a little more than a month, but she indicated she did not know them.

“Every day there was somebody stopping there,” Feckey said. “People would come by all the time. They would be in there no more than six seconds . . . just in and out.

“One time I saw somebody stop by there at 6:30 in the morning. They were so obvious. Something had to happen sooner or later.”

The neighbor said she and her husband never attempted to befriend the family.

“I didn’t know them at all. You could say they were very uncommunicative,” Feckey said.