Sheriff’s Deputy Wounded in Shootout With Suspect

A Sheriff’s deputy was shot in the right arm Tuesday during a shootout with a robbery suspect, said a department spokesman.

Sheriff’s officials are attempting to determine whether the shot came from a suspect’s weapon or from “friendly fire.”

Four suspects were taken into custody after deputies responded to Woodrow Wilson Elementary, where a 15-year-old boy had been robbed of a bracelet.

After gathering information from the victim, deputies made a traffic stop on a vehicle that fit the description, said spokesman Sgt. Vincent Callier.

One of the suspects got out of the vehicle and was arrested. The vehicle sped off, prompting a pursuit that ended when the suspects crashed into a residence at the corner of Fernwood and Elm, where two more suspects were arrested.

The fourth suspect ran away and was chased and caught by a deputy.

A struggle ensued during which the deputy fired a round. A second deputy arriving on the scene fired another round, missing the suspect, who surrendered. It was then that the first deputy realized he had been shot, Irving said.

The injured deputy was transported by paramedics to St. Francis Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition, said Deputy Elsa Avila. His identity was not immediately released.