A domestic violence suspect was fatally shot in a confrontation with San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies on Saturday; and the California Department of Justice said Tuesday it is investigating the shooting.
The Sheriff’s Department said in a Tuesday statement there was a domestic violence arrest warrant for Keith Vinyard, 52, of Hesperia, and that Vinyard fled a traffic stop on Saturday at around 9:50 p.m. at the 15400 block of Halinor Street in Hesperia.
According to the Sheriff’s statement, Vinyard was driving recklessly during the pursuit. After the pursuit ended, he refused to comply with commands given by a deputy and threatened to shoot a deputy, the statement said.
Vinyard armed himself with a “large metal object” as more deputies arrived, leading to him getting shot and killed at the scene, the Sheriff’s statement said.
The California DOJ regularly investigates when there is an officer-involved shooting resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian. An unarmed civilian is defined as a person not in possession of a deadly weapon.
It wasn’t immediately known if Vinyard was armed with a deadly weapon at any point during Saturday’s confrontation with the deputies.
The California Department of Justice did not immediately provide additional details about why the shooting is being investigated.
