Deputy In Stable Condition After Being Shot In Coachella Valley

UPDATE 6 a.m. Oct. 19, 2023:

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — A Riverside County sheriff's deputy who was shot by a suspect Wednesday night in Thousand Palms while investigating a hit-and-run was hospitalized in stable condition Thursday morning, authorities said.

Shortly after 7 p.m., the deputy and his colleagues from the Palm Desert Sheriff's Station were at Ramon and Robert roads in incorporated Thousand Palms tracking down a felony hit-and-run suspect, according to an updated report from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The deputies focused on a vehicle with two people inside. While they detained the driver, "the passenger fired at deputies and a deputy-involved shooting occurred," according to the department.

One deputy was shot in the gunfight.

The suspect vehicle's passenger, who was hit by deputy gunfire, barricaded himself inside the automobile and refused to follow law enforcement commands, the sheriff's department reported.

Additional deputies, along with the California Highway Patrol and police agencies in the area, responded to the scene. The law enforcement officers were eventually able to arrest the wounded passenger.

The wounded deputy, whose name was not released, underwent surgery and was in stable condition. The wounded suspect was also listed in stable condition at a local hospital and was in the custody of the sheriff's department, the law enforcement agency reported early Thursday morning.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested and booked on an outstanding felony warrant. No further details were released about that suspect.

The deputies involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave. Their names were not released.

Investigators from the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office along with CHP personnel assigned to the Riverside Sheriff’s Force Investigations Detail will lead an investigation into the shooting, the sheriff's department said.

ORIGINAL POST:

A Riverside County sheriff's deputy was shot by a suspect Wednesday night in Thousand Palms, and a suspect is in custody.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department announced the shooting on X, formerly Twitter, at approximately 8 p.m.

"One Deputy Shot and is on the way to the hospital. Condition is unknown," the agency shared on X, later adding that the law enforcement officer was undergoing surgery.

The sheriff's department called the incident a "deputy-involved shooting" and around 8:30 p.m. reported that a suspect was arrested. In a later update, the agency said the suspect was sent to an area hospital. No details were immediately provided.

The public was asked to avoid the area of Ramon and Robert roads in Thousand Palms though the sheriff's department initially reported the shooting was in in Palm Desert. The agency later confirmed the incident occurred in Thousand Palms.

Further updates were expected.