3 Men Hitting 4th With Bats Are Shot by Police Officer : Violence: Dozens were fighting in a Santa Ana alley when police arrived. The officer first feared for the victim’s life, then his own as he was rushed.

A police officer attempting to quell a violent street fight in an alley early Saturday morning shot and wounded three men who were beating a victim with baseball bats, police said.

The first two men were shot because the officer believed the victim’s life was in danger, and the third was shot when the bat-wielding suspect rushed toward the officer, said Santa Ana Police Sgt. Rich Murg.

The officer-involved shootings--the 11th such incident in the county this year--occurred about 3:45 a.m. after police were notified that a melee involving between 20 and 30 men had broken out in the alleyway on Maywood Street, near the intersection of Fairview Street, Murg said. There were reports that the street fighters were carrying baseball bats and small-caliber handguns.

Murg declined to say if police believed the fight was gang-related.

Neighbors, who asked not to be identified, said that members of two gangs armed with baseball bats, knives and handguns met in the alleyway behind the row of houses sometime around 2 a.m.

At first, witnesses said, the alleged gang members were shouting at each other. Then a fight broke out.

“At first they were just duking it out, no guns or nothing,” one witness said. “They were just arguing a lot and hitting each other. Later on, that’s when we started hearing shots.”

The witness said that he heard at least 10 rounds fired from at least one small-caliber gun.

The fighting continued, and neighbors called police.

When police units arrived at the scene, one officer spotted three men standing over a fourth, hitting him repeatedly with bats, Murg said.

The officer, who was not identified, pointed at the group and ordered the three men to stop and drop their weapons, Murg said. When they failed to respond, the officer pulled his handgun and fired at one of the attackers, wounding him.

“That officer feared for the life of the victim,” Murg said. “Those guys looked like they were going to kill him.” Despite the officer’s shooting, the two other attackers continued to club the victim, identified later as Fidel Marin, 27, from Anaheim.

The officer then fired at a second attacker, wounding him, Murg said. At that time, the third man turned and began rushing toward the officer with the club in his hand.

“The officer this time feared for his own safety, and fired,” Murg said.

Wounded in the shooting were Santa Ana residents Anthony Castro, 23; Jodie Rivera, 20, and Alfredo Marin, 18, Murg said. Murg did not know whether Alfredo Marin is related to the victim.

Castro was listed in stable condition at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, Murg said. Rivera and Alfredo Marin were listed in stable condition at UCI Medical Center in Orange, he said.

Murg said that he did not know which of the three wounded men was hit first and which one turned and rushed toward the officer.

“The incident is under investigation,” Murg said.

One witness said that after he heard the shots fired by the police officer, he looked out the window and saw a police officer standing over two men lying in a pool of blood.

“There were bats and clubs lying all around,” the witness said.

Murg said that many baseball bats, handguns and knives were confiscated, but no one was arrested in the wake of the street violence.

The beating victim, Fidel Marin, was taken to an undisclosed hospital and was also in stable condition, Murg said.

The shooting is being investigated by Santa Ana police and the Orange County district attorney’s office, which routinely probes all incidents that involve gunfire by police officers, Murg said.

Charges against the three alleged attackers are pending, possibly until results of the district attorney’s investigation is completed, he said.