Update: Tuesday, 6:15 p.m.
According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the deputy sheriff who fired his service weapon during this incident has been identified as Luke Berhalter. He is assigned to the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Station – Patrol Division.
Berhalter has been employed by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department for 21 months after having served as a deputy sheriff in Sacramento County for
As is routine in all deputy involved shootings, Deputy Berhalter has been placed on administrative leave until cleared to return to work. Once completed, the investigation will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for review.
Original story:
An investigation was under way Monday into a deputy- involved shooting in which a Spring Valley woman was reportedly shot in the arm by a deputy who was checking her backyard for a masked man.
Deputies were called to 8900 block of Leigh Avenue shortly before 10:30 p.m. Sunday to investigate a suspicious man seen in the area wearing a ski mask, according to San Diego County sheriff's homicide Lt. Larry Nesbit.
Deputies arrived and determined the man had left the area, walking away in an eastbound direction, Nesbit said in a statement.
While checking for the man one to two blocks away from Leigh Avenue, deputies entered the backyard of a residence in the 200 block of Via Tapia, Nesbit said.
"At some point, while in the backyard of the residence, there was contact between the deputies, who had their weapons drawn, and a female resident of the home," Nesbit said. "During that contact, one of the deputies fired from his service weapon. The female was struck in the arm by the round."
Paramedics took the wounded woman to an area hospital, where she was listed in good condition and expected to be released today, Nesbit said.
Information about the deputy who shot the woman was not immediately released.
-City News Service
