Man hospitalized after being shot at by deputy in Lakeside

A person was hospitalized Wednesday morning after they were shot at by a San Diego County Sheriff’s deputy in East County, who missed, according to law enforcement.

The shooting occurred at around 10:30 a.m. near the 9200 block of Briette Place in Lakeside, just north of Interstate 8 and west of Lake Jennings Park Road. After the shooting, deputies said the man was armed with a handgun during the shooting.

At the time, deputies and the Lakeside Fire Department were responding to a welfare check at a residence that the family had requested, SDSO Lt. Sean Gallagher said. Deputies said that when they arrived, the man was not at home. They eventually found him a few blocks away, however, on Tiffany Park Place.

The San Diego Police Department will be investigating the shooting per a cross-departmental memorandum of understanding. A department spokesman said they were investigating whether the man had a handgun when he was shot at.

“When they encountered the individual, he told deputies he was armed with a handgun,” said SDPD Lt. Chris Tivanian. “He was directed to keep his hands visible. He did not. He reached into his waistband behind his back, prompting one of the deputies to fire a single round from a service weapon. The round missed the individual. He was then taken into custody without further incident.”

Why the man was not hospitalized has not been disclosed.

Two hours after the shooting, a few patrol cars were still visible in the residential neighborhood.

People in the neighborhood told NBC 7 that they were surprised that something like what happened could take place in their own backyard.

“I was in my living room, and then I heard, like, two pops,” one neighbor said. “I was kind of confused about what it was, and then I realized a lot of cops were coming, and then, yeah, that’s what I heard.”

The neighbor described the area as quiet and friendly, and said that incidents like the shooting are unexpected.

This article originally stated that the man deputies fired at had been shot when, in fact, the deputy missed. — Ed.