A felony warrant suspect sought by law enforcement officials was shot and killed by deputies at a Vista apartment complex Friday evening, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.
At around 6:20 p.m., deputies from the Vista Sheriff’s Station Gang Enforcement Team were trying to locate a felony warrant suspect wanted on drug-related charges when they spotted the suspect inside a garage at the Shadow Ridge Park Apartments in the 2000-block of South Melrose Drive.
The man appeared to be fixing a bicycle inside the garage. According to the sheriff's department, deputies made contact with the suspect and ordered him to show his hands. Officials said the suspect did not comply and, instead, allegedly moved his hands towards the waistband of his pants.
Fearing for their safety, deputies opened fire on the suspect, critically wounding him. The man was pronounced dead on scene a short time later.
The sheriff’s department said no deputies were shot or injured in the incident, which remains under investigation.
Officials said four deputies initially approached the suspect inside the garage and investigators believe two deputies fired multiple fatal shots at the suspect.
The names of both the suspect and deputies involved in the shooting have not yet been released.
Immediately following the deputy-involved shooting, officials shut down the area around the apartment complex so investigators could gather evidence.
The incident left some Vista residents, including Patricia Holland on edge. She told NBC 7 she never imagined something like this happening in her neighborhood.
"We thought it was going to be safe," said Holland, who recently moved to the area. "This is very surprising, very shocking."
NBC 7 will bring you updates as this story continues to develop.
