Federal law officers confronted a group of suspected drug traffickers Tuesday in Chula Vista, California. The meeting led to the shooting of one of the suspects and the searched for the other members of the group, the community was warned and protected.
Homeland officers were holding an undercover narcotics investigation in Chula Vista California, before engaging in a shooting battle with on of the suspects in a shopping center at 2pm in the 2300 block of Proctor Valley Road.
After the altercation, four suspects ran away from the agents in two different vehicles but were quickly arrested and taken into custody.
An unusual altercation
This type of investigation is very regular for Homeland Security agents, yet it appears one of the subjects became violent and forced an officer to protect himself, by shooting him several times.
“One of the suspects became violent and forced our agent to take offensive action to defend himself, to defend his life,” said Mike Carney a special agent in charge of the agency.
After the first shooting started, the rest of the suspects ran away in two different vehicles. One of them, a white Ford Fiesta, was found after it crashed about a block away from the original location. Two men were arrested near the Lane Avenue and Boswell road, according to the San Diego Tribune.
Three other suspects were arrested at different times and in different locations by officers who took the town to find them. Around 6 p.m a police dog found a suspect hidden inside the trunk of a silver sedan parked in the mall.
The last suspect was arrested during the day, yet authorities have not revealed how the arrestment took place.
Police activity in 2300 Proctor Valley Road Chula Vista. Avoid area if possible. Residents and businesses asked to shelter in place.
— Chula Vista Police (@CVPolice) June 14, 2016
Homeland members took the town and searched every shop in the mall, house by house, garage by garage and alley by alley, to find to missing suspects that appear to be in a red vehicle.
The community was asked first to remain in safety, a local kindergarten was shot down and parents were picking kids up, while people remain in their houses. Yet authorities assured everything was under control shortly after.
The Homeland officer who shot the suspect was taken to the hospital for a checkup even though he wasn’t injured. The altercation was reported via Twitter, by several members of the community and locals that were at the time in the mall.
Authorities have not yet revealed how the suspect became violent with the federal agent and what was the main purpose of the mission held by Homeland Security, further details are expected in the upcoming hours.
Source: CBS