Crowd Ducks as Police Fire on Drug Suspects

Undercover officers opened fire on two drug suspects at a crowded Camarillo shopping center Monday after the suspects rammed their police truck.

Neither suspect was shot and both were arrested. A Ventura police officer suffered minor injuries when his unmarked pickup was rammed, authorities said.

“As soon as I heard all of those gunshots, I took off running. It was absolutely crazy,” said James Kline, a Fresno County resident who had just finished lunch at the Camarillo Town Center on Las Posas Road.

A Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman said the two undercover officers on a multi-agency drug task force had followed the suspects from Los Angeles. Shortly after 4 p.m., the suspects allegedly began driving erratically around the parking lot and then struck the officers’ pickup.

“That’s when we opened fire,” Senior Deputy Renee Ferguson said.

Witnesses, many of whom dove under cars or ran from the giant parking lot, reported hearing at least five shots. Pete Medina, a Wendy’s manager, said several customers ducked under tables. A few in the drive-through lane fled without paying or getting their food, he said.

Ferguson refused to say how many shots were fired or whether any drugs were found. Citing the ongoing and sensitive nature of the case, the names of the suspects were withheld even after they were arrested, Ferguson said.

Police cordoned off the parking lot in front of a Del Taco, where much of the shooting occurred. Some shoppers said they were curious about an undercover drug bust unraveling at such a busy site.

“If they get drugs off the street and no deputies get hurt, I have no problem with it,” said Vivian Wammack, 22, of Camarillo, adding that she has no illusions about the presence of crime in Ventura County. “It’s not safe anywhere,” she said.

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Times staff writer Jenifer Ragland contributed to this report.