A San Diego County Sheriff's deputy was arrested Friday for suspicion of driving under the influence and allegedly attempting to drive past Naval Base Coronado's main gate, officials said.
At around 10:30 p.m. Friday, Coronado Police Department informed the County Sheriff's Department about the arrest of one of their deputies. According to the department, Sgt. Michael Cruz, who was off duty at the time, attempted to go past the base's main gate without clearance, leading military guards to shoot at the car.
There were no reported injuries.
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Cruz was booked into county jail for driving under the influence.
"He was released on his own recognizance pending future court dates," sheriff's deputies said.
Cruz is on paid administrative leave while a sheriff's internal affairs investigation continues.
The incident forced the base into lockdown Friday and multiple gates were also closed while security personnel checked the rest of the base as a precaution, base spokesperson Kevin Dixon said.
A witness at the scene told NBC 7 she woke up to what she thought were nearly two dozen gunshots.
"I was actually asleep when the car went through the intersection. I woke up to close to 20 gunshots being fired. I didn't know what it was at first. I looked out the window, saw a bunch of sirens going off and came down to see what it was all about," the witness said.
The Coronado Police Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service were investigating the arrest, with cooperation from the sheriff's department.
"The Sheriff's Department will not tolerate criminal behavior in its ranks and will hold employees accountable for their actions," a sheriff's news release said.
After the incident, NBC 7 contacted San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez for an interview but the department declined, adding that Sheriff Martinez is unable to comment on the specifics of the case.
Sheriff Martinez and her team are focusing on identifying where to best predict and prevent these types of behaviors from happening in the future, the department told NBC 7. The department added in an email to NBC 7 that they are working on employee wellness initiatives and education surrounding behaviors that could indicate future misconduct or violations of the law.
Cruz was hired in 2006 and was assigned to the Sheriff's Emergency Planning Detail.
No other information was available.
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