A scary situation occurred early on Halloween morning when a vigilante armed with an AR-15 mistakenly shot San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies while trying to pursue a group of suspected burglars , authorities said.
At 1:26 a.m. Thursday, deputies responded to an alarm at a Pick-N-Pull, a used auto parts store and salvage yard in Stockton. After arriving, they chased a group of three suspects along a nearby canal and two officers hid behind a cement fence separating a Buddhist temple from a residence, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a press release published on social networks.
A west side homeowner received an alert from his front door security camera and, instead of calling 911, contacted his grandson, authorities said.
The grandson armed himself with an AR-15 and began searching for the suspects on a golf cart, authorities said. He came upon the two deputies at the Buddhist temple and allegedly shot them before they could announce themselves.
The man fired two shots, one of which hit the cement wall just below where a deputy was hiding, authorities said. The deputies did not respond.
The man – who authorities identified as Richard Gonzales, 38, of Stockton – then complied with deputies’ commands and was taken into custody without further incident.
“Call law enforcement. Make this your first attempt,” a sheriff’s spokesperson told the Times.
Gonzales was booked into jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and possession of an assault weapon with a high-capacity magazine and silencer, among other charges.
“This incident highlights the vital importance of allowing trained law enforcement to handle dangerous situations,” the statement said. “Taking justice into your own hands can escalate conflicts and lead to tragic consequences. »
