Patient at Northern California hospital shot dead by sheriff’s deputy
Federal authorities are investigating how a patient in a rural California hospital was shot dead by a sheriff’s deputy on Sunday.
The patient, identified by authorities only as 53-year-old man, was shot dead at Eastern Plumas Health Care hospital in Loyalton, north of Truckee, after he confronted the deputy at about 12:50 a.m. Sunday, according to the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy was responding to a report of a patient causing a disturbance. Upon arriving, the patient confronted the deputy, sparking a violent struggle that ended with the deputy opening fire, Fox 40 reported.
Authorities were withholding the name of the man, who died at the hospital.
Officials from the Department of Justice and the Plumas County district attorney’s office were investigating the case. Meanwhile, the deputy involved in the incident has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure.
Hours after the incident, the sheriff’s office reported “menacing” and “threatening” statements directed at law enforcement officials from local residents.
“This behavior is despicable and reflects very poorly on those individuals and should be discouraged,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
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