Man dead after officer-involved shooting on the Morongo Indian Reservation
A 50-year-old man died after an officer-involved shooting on the Morongo Indian Reservation Friday morning.
The incident was initially reported at around 5:45 a.m. with a report of a dead body at a house in the 12000 block of Santiago Road. Morongo Tribal Police officers and a deputy from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call.
"Upon arrival, they were confronted by an armed resident and an officer-involved shooting occurred involving a Morongo Tribal Police officer," reads a news release from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
The resident was fatally wounded in the confrontation, the tribe confirmed.
No law enforcement officers were injured. The tribe said the original call of a dead body at the location was determined to be unfounded.
The resident, a man in his 50s who is not a Tribal member, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The man's identification was not publicly released as of 4:00 p.m.
"The initial investigation located a suicide note at the residence. There is no ongoing threat to the community," reads the tribe's news release.
The involved officer has been placed on administrative leave per department policy. Per policy, the officer’s name will not be released at this time.
Investigators from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Force Investigations Detail arrived to assume the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. This is an active and ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Investigator Dan Moody at 760-393-3525.
Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.
