Man hits officer with car in Circle K parking lot, leading to non-lethal deputy involved shooting
A man was arrested after allegedly causing a disturbance with his vehicle and then running into a police officer before fleeing the scene. A non-lethal deputy involved shooting occurred following the collision.
Police were contacted about the suspect, 26-year-old Anthony John Vasquez of Norwalk, just after 1 AM on November 20th. The caller reported that the suspect was “driving a vehicle through the parking lot,” of the Circle K located in the 8100 block of I Avenue in Hesperia, “and causing a disturbance,” according to the release.
Things only escalated when officers arrived at the scene. Instead of complying with their commands to cease the disturbance, “Vasquez accelerated his vehicle in reverse, toward one of the deputies, and struck another deputy before he collided with a parked sheriff’s patrol vehicle.” At that time, at least one officer opened fire.
Vasquez, not struck by the gunshot, fled the scene but pulled over nearby before surrendering to police. He was booked at High Desert Detention Center and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Vasquez is currently out on bail.
“The deputy struck by Vasquez’ vehicle was treated for his injuries at a local hospital and released. No other injuries were sustained.”
Police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Robert Ripley, Specialized Investigations Division at (909) 387-3589 or We-Tip at 800-78-CRIME/www.wetip.com.
