Deputies use ‘less lethal device’ to take man with a machete into custody in Coachella
Riverside County Sheriff's deputies used de-escalation techniques and a "less lethal device" to take a man who authorities said refused to drop his machete into custody Friday afternoon in Coachella.
At 2:54 p.m., deputies were called to the area of Van Buren Avenue and Avenue 48 in regards to a battery.
According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, deputies arrived and located the suspect, armed with a machete, at Van Buren Avenue and Avenue 49.
Deputies commanded the suspect to drop the machete, but he refused.
"Deputies utilized de-escalation techniques and a less lethal device to detain the suspect; however, he failed to comply and fled through a field," reads an RSO email to News Channel 3. "Deputies pursued the suspect to the area of Grapefruit Boulevard and Mitchell Drive, where they again utilized de-escalation techniques and a less lethal device to take the suspect into custody."
The suspect was transported to a local hospital. No deputies were injured during this incident, the agency confirmed.
