Temecula Cask Lane Shooting Investigation, Video Released: Sheriff

TEMECULA, CA – Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Southwest Sheriff's Station investigators released footage of a critical, non-fatal officer-involved shooting from January as part of the department's ongoing investigation Tuesday.

Christian Alejandro Rodriguez, 33, of San Diego, was shot by officers during an attempted arrest in Temecula.

According to jail records, he is currently at the Southwest Detention Center on $500,000 bail and awaiting his arraignment on multiple felony charges.

Read: Temecula Man Shot Amid Domestic Dispute: RivCo Sheriff's Dept.

On Jan. 8, shortly before 6 p.m., deputies arrived at Cask Lane and Turner Lane to answer a family dispute call. There, they found the suspect barricaded inside a vehicle.

"Callers told dispatchers that a family member was at the location under the influence of drugs, acting erratically and refusing to leave," Bianco said in the video below.

Another call indicated the suspect was vandalizing a vehicle and setting it on fire, Bianco explained. When deputies arrived, the suspect yelled at and threatened approaching officers, then threw a large claw hammer at a deputy, the video shows. Then, the officer-involved shooting occurred.

Though Rodriguez was struck by gunfire, deputies attended to him until paramedics arrived, according to Sgt. Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez in a previous report. He was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries until his release to the Southwest Detention Center.

His felony charges include malicious setting fire to property, animal cruelty, arson, and resisting arrest, and he will answer to those charges on April 1, jail records show.

The video below, which is graphic in nature, shows officers approaching the car and ultimately shooting the suspect.

"When we have a deputy-involved shooting, multiple investigations are automatically launched. An investigator from the Riverside County District Attorney's Office will lead the investigation, aided by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Forced Investigations Detail," Bianco said. "This combined investigation will examine initial contact, the suspect's actions, and the deputy involved shootings."

This will be reviewed by both the Riverside County District Attorney's Office and the department to evaluate the deputy's actions against policies and standards. Bianco added, "We take each use of force very seriously and make every effort to de-escalate these situations whenever possible."

Read also:

Temecula Man Shot Amid Domestic Dispute: RivCo Sheriff's Dept.