Deputies shot and wounded a man who they say first opened fire on them in Yucca Valley earlier this week, authorities said Wednesday.
The shooting took place about 11:10 p.m. Monday in the desert near the intersection of Joshua Lane and Joshua Drive, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies found and approached the man after he had made a phone call to the sheriff’s department, officials said.
The suspect had “reportedly shot and killed a person,” the agency said in a written statement. It was not immediately clear whether the suspect, himself, had reported the killing, or someone else.
“When deputies arrived, they found [the suspect] in the desert, armed with a handgun,” the statement said. “[He] ignored commands from deputies to drop the weapon and fired the handgun. A lethal force encounter occurred, and Belle was struck by gunfire.”
Graham Michael Lee Bell, 30, of Yucca Valley was treated by paramedics and hospitalized, officials said. No injuries to deputies were reported.
Search of the area turned up no signs of a shooting victim.
No further details were available Wednesday.
The investigation is being handled by detectives from the Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division, which can be reached at (909) 890-4904. Information may also be submitted anonymously to the We-Tip hotline at (800) 782-7463.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Man wounded in exchange of gunfire with deputies in Yucca Valley
Reporting by Brian Day, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
