A sheriff’s deputy has been shot and killed following an exchange of gunfire during an eviction-related incident in Porterville, authorities have said. The confrontation occurred as officers from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office were serving an eviction notice. According to the sheriff, a suspect opened fire on deputies, pinning them down with sustained gunfire. The individual is now barricaded and believed to be armed with a high-powered rifle.
Heavy gunfire erupts during an eviction in Porterville, California, as a suspect pins down deputies and opens fire; a Tulare County sheriff’s deputy has been shot and killed, and the suspect remains barricaded with a high-powered rifle, authorities say. pic.twitter.com/TP5exTBSQy
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David Morales, 60, has been accused of opening fire on deputies from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office during an operation on Thursday morning. Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said the incident occurred at around 10:20 a.m. in the area of Newcomb Avenue and Grand Avenue, where deputies had been serving a warrant.
According to officials, one deputy was shot during the exchange and was moved to safety before being taken to hospital. He later died from his injuries at approximately 11:20 a.m., reports said.
Authorities had said the suspect used a high-powered rifle during the shooting and remained barricaded inside a nearby home following the incident. Deputies returned fire after Morales allegedly began shooting, but officials said gunfire was ongoing as the situation developed.
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Law enforcement agencies from Porterville, Tulare and Farmersville assisted at the scene, along with a helicopter from the California Highway Patrol and SWAT teams from Bakersfield and Visalia.
Several nearby schools, including Monache High School, Oak Grove Elementary School, Sequoia Middle School and Lombardi Elementary School, were placed under shelter-in-place orders. Sheriff Boudreaux said children were safe and urged members of the public to avoid the area.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said: “Sheriff Boudreaux is devastated to announce the loss of a Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, after he was shot and killed this morning in Porterville.” It added that deputies had been serving an eviction notice when Morales “opened fire on them, hitting one TCSO Deputy”.
“The Deputy was rushed to a local hospital, where we are heartbroken to confirm, he passed away,” the statement said.
Officials said the suspect remained at large at the scene and warned that shots were still being fired, urging residents to shelter in place.
“Sheriff Boudreaux has met with the fallen Deputy’s family and offered his deepest condolences,” the statement added. “All of us at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office are shocked and incredibly saddened by today’s tragic events. We ask that you keep our Deputy’s grieving family in your prayers.”
