(This story has been updated with additional information from Oxnard police.)
Oxnard police are investigating a shooting April 20 in which an officer shot a man wielding a machete.
Police Chief Jason Benites said officers were called to a restaurant in the 5000 block of Saviers Road on a report of a man with a machete. An officer shot the man who has since been taken to the hospital, he said.
“He is currently being treated at an area hospital for gunshot wounds.,” Benites said. “His condition is unknown.”
The Oxnard Police Department said the incident closed the intersection of Pleasant Valley and Saviers roads in South Oxnard. In an emailed notification, police advised drivers to avoid the area because the intersection was closed for the investigation.
Cmdr. Miguel Serrato said officers responded to the scene at 12:10 p.m. and began communicating with the man who was described as in his 50s. Multiple officers arrived, and one officer shot the man. It was not immediately clear how many times the man was struck, Serrato said.
Emergency services were called to the area around 12:20 p.m.
Officers have since cordoned off the scene of the shooting, Serrato said. The department’s major crimes unit has taken over the investigation, which is typical, he said.
As per department protocol, the officer involved in the shooting is automatically placed on administrative leave and an internal affairs investigation will be conducted, Serrato said. The investigations and other factors will determine if and when an officer is approved to return to duty.
The shooting marked a weekend of violence in the Oxnard area. Officers responded April 19 to College Estates Park for previous shooting. A 28-year-old Oxnard man has since been arrested and booked into Ventura County jail on suspicion of multiple felonies, including attempted murder.
On April 18, two men suffered stab wounds after a fight outside a grocery store on East Channel Islands Boulevard.
Stacie N. Galang is news director of the Ventura County Star. She can be reached at stacie.galang@vcstar.com or 805-437-0222.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: UPDATED: Man with machete apparently shot by Oxnard police officer
Reporting by Stacie N. Galang, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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