San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy shot, suspect wounded after pursuit and gun battle

A San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy was shot Tuesday and airlifted to a hospital, and the suspect was wounded by deputies after a pursuit that ended in the desert, authorities said.

The deputy was investigating an individual lurking at a storage facility in the Hesperia area when he spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s SUV in the parking lot of nearby Aldi supermarket. When he approached the vehicle he spoke to the occupant, sheriff’s officials said.

“At this point we are not sure exactly what occurred but the deputy was found on the ground with a gunshot,” said department spokeswoman Cindy Bachman. “A citizen found him in the parking lot and was able to get on his radio and advise dispatch that an officer was down.”

Bachman said multiple police cars from surrounding agencies and stations responded to the scene near Bear Valley Road and Jacaranda Avenue. They put out the description of an older Ford Explorer in faded red.

Deputies from the Apple Valley station saw the SUV driving southbound on Apple Valley Road, just a short distance from the shooting, Bachman said. The deputies attempted to stop the vehicle but the SUV fled into open desert on the south end of the town, Bachman said.

“At that point, the driver bailed out of the vehicle and began shooting at the deputies,” Bachman said. “The deputies returned fire and the suspect was struck,” she said. The suspect remains hospitalized.

The Sheriff’s Department said the deputy, who was not identified, was airlifted to Loma Linda Medical Center for treatment of unspecified wounds. Bachman said the deputy was undergoing surgery. She said she had no update on his condition or on the wounded suspect.

Initial reports indicate that the deputy’s injuries were not life-threatening.