An individual was taken to the hospital after being shot by an Orange County Deputy on suspicion of fraud. The incident occurred at a Walmart Supercenter in the 26500 block of Town Center Drive at approximately 9:40 p.m.
Four individuals attempted to return items they had never purchased, leading to a case of suspected fraud. Authorities were called to the store to investigate misconduct, where deputies confronted the suspects. While one suspect was willing to comply, two others had fled and the last had become hostile, allegedly producing a weapon that led the officers to open fire.
The suspect was hit and wounded.. He was taken to the hospital where he received emergency surgery and his condition is currently unknown. According to the deputies, he was armed with a knife and a gun, both of which were recovered at the scene of the shooting. Pictures of the weapons were released by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
“I was right there in the baby section…I just saw everyone looking over because I heard an argument, and someone screamed, ‘no,’ and the next thing you know you hear a gunshot, and everyone just ducks and runs,” witness Leslie Dash said in an interview with CBSLA.
The two individuals who fled the scene were intercepted by a Deputy. Deputies in Midway city, about 20 miles away from the Walmart, found the vehicle. A man and woman were inside the car, matching the descriptions of the missing accomplices, and were taken into custody.
32,000 police killings have occurred since the 1980s, increasing by a staggering 38.4% since 2019. Although the suspects were non compliant and aggressive, Orange County residents are concerned with the use of violence.
“I understand that when one is in a situation where you’re being provoked by police, it is best to remain calm and refrain from reaching, but if the circumstances that led to the officer firing are unclear, why hasn’t there been an investigation opened up?” Orange County resident Reef Borja said about the shooting. “One that involves brute force and impulsive reaction. The last thing I want is a trigger happy deputy protecting and serving.”
Others feel indifferent about the situation, considering what occurred to be a job well done.
“You’re better safe than sorry, wouldn’t you say? Stealing is one thing, but who knows where the situation could have gone if the officer hadn’t fired on the gunman?” Irvine resident Clayton Pavlat said in defense of the police. “This could have turned into a mass shooting for all we know. It sounds like the suspect didn’t even hesitate to draw his weapon on the officer.”
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, an investigation of the shooting will be handled, per protocol, by the District Attorney’s Office.
“Deputies in Lake Forest are equipped with body-worn-cameras. Footage from the shooting will be released, in compliance with the law and through discourse within the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.”
Kayode Giwa is a City News Intern for the winter 2022 quarter. He can be reached at kgiwa@uci.edu.
