San Diego

Officials Identify Deputy Involved in SR-125 Shooting

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has identified the deputy involved in a shooting on State Route 125 one week ago.

Shots were fired on northbound SR-125, between the Grossmont College Drive and Mission Gorge Road exits just after 7 p.m. on Sept. 8.

Deputies were looking into a report of a man threatening to harm himself.

Robert Westbrook, 31, was sitting inside a parked car on SR-125. When a deputy tried to approach Westbrook to talk, he was uncooperative, SDSO officials said.

At that point, Westbrook got out of his car and pulled out an object that looked like a handgun, officials said.

The deputy drew his service weapon and opened fire. He has been identified as Deputy Freddy Herrero, a four-year veteran of the department assigned to the Santee Sheriff's Station.

Westbrook was rushed to Sharp Memorial Hospital where he was being treated for several gunshot wounds.

The sheriff's department said no deputies were hurt in the shooting. 

Investigators said they recovered some kind of weapon at the scene. On Saturday, the SDSO said Westbrook's weapon was a realistic replica of a semi-automatic pistol that fires BBs and pellets. Westbrook will be charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

Westbrook was living out of his car; the SDSO said witnesses told detectives that Westbrook had allegedly stated that he wanted a law enforcement officer to shoot him.

The investigation is ongoing; no further information was released.

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