One person has been taken into custody on suspicion of firing upon sheriff’s deputies with a pellet gun in Canyon Country on Monday.
According to officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the incident of deputies being shot at was first reported at approximately 6:45 p.m. near the intersection of Soledad Canyon Road and Camp Plenty Road.
“What it was, an off-duty deputy sees what appears to be someone carrying a rifle,” said Deputy Tracy Koerner of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. “He makes contact with another patrol unit and they set up a containment.”
While establishing the containment and waiting on other units to respond, the two deputies reportedly heard what sounded like pellet guns or air rifles shooting, or striking their vehicles, officials said.
“So, they’re not sure if someone’s shooting at them or at their vehicle,” said Koerner. “But they’re near their vehicle, so they’re assuming someone is shooting at them.”
Within moments of that initial report of the law vehicles being pelted, an emergency broadcast to other units was put out, and a more personnel-heavy containment was requested.
Dozens of law enforcement vehicles responded to the scene to assist with the call, armed with both lethal and non-lethal equipment. The westbound side of Soledad Canyon Road was shut off to through traffic as deputies worked to gather at the scene before heading into the Santa Clara riverbed to comb for both the alleged weapon and suspect.
“Please avoid the area of Soledad Canyon Road, between Camp Plenty Road and Langside Avenue in Canyon Country,” read a statement released on the SCV Sheriff’s Station Twitter account at 7:30 p.m. “Westbound lanes are closed due to an active investigation taking place.”
By 8:10 p.m., a large deputy presence remained on the scene, with through traffic closed and deputies having just come back from their preliminary searches of the wash.
However, by 8:42 p.m., a second statement had been released by the Sheriff’s Station, saying that the area had been cleared and through traffic had begun to trickle through.
“We took one (suspect) into custody,” said Koerner.
Officials had not yet released the details of the arrest, the identity of the suspect, nor if a weapon had been recovered as of the publication of this article.
No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
