LOS ANGELES, CA – San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies fatally shot a man Friday afternoon after authorities said he first opened fire on Southern California Edison workers trimming trees near his home, then barricaded himself inside and later fired at deputies.
The confrontation began around 10:50 a.m. in the 300 block of King Street in Mentone, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Southern California Edison employees were performing tree-trimming work in the area when the man allegedly began shooting at them.
No Edison workers were reported injured.
Deputies responded to the reported gunfire and encountered a developing barricade situation after the man went inside his residence and refused to surrender, authorities said.
The Sheriff’s Department brought in crisis negotiators from its Specialized Enforcement Division in an effort to resolve the confrontation peacefully.
Negotiators attempted to communicate with the man and persuade him to come out of the home without further violence.
The standoff continued for several hours.
At approximately 2 p.m., authorities said the man began firing at deputies.
Deputies returned fire, striking him.
Paramedics attempted life-saving measures at the residence, but the man was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not publicly identified him.
No deputies, Southern California Edison employees or other members of the public were injured during the incident, according to the information released by investigators.
Information reviewed by Street People indicates the shooting is now being investigated by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Specialized Investigations Division, which handles homicides, suspicious deaths and lethal-force encounters involving sheriff’s personnel.
The division’s Homicide Detail is specifically responsible for investigating incidents in which a deputy or another member of the department discharges a firearm and the encounter results in death.
That means the investigation will address both phases of Friday’s incident: the original allegations involving gunfire directed at utility workers and the later exchange of gunfire between the man and deputies.
Authorities have not released details about the firearm allegedly used by the man, including what type of weapon was involved, how many rounds were fired or whether investigators recovered more than one weapon from the property.
The Sheriff’s Department also has not disclosed how many deputies fired their weapons or how many times the man was struck.
Those details are typically part of the evidence reviewed during a lethal-force investigation and may be released later as investigators complete interviews, collect physical evidence and review available recordings.
The initial confrontation began while Edison crews were carrying out vegetation work.
Southern California Edison says vegetation management around electrical infrastructure is intended to protect public safety and maintain reliable service. The utility trims portions of trees that could interfere with power lines and says its crews follow established clearance standards when performing that work.
SCE safety guidance also warns that work close to energized power lines requires specially qualified line-clearance tree-trimming personnel because of the hazards associated with electrical infrastructure.
Authorities have not said what specifically prompted the man to allegedly fire at the workers Friday or whether there had been any dispute before the shooting.
There is also no information indicating that the Edison employees entered the man’s home or that the confrontation involved anything beyond work taking place near the property.
Investigators have not publicly identified a motive.
Once deputies arrived, the situation shifted from an alleged assault on utility workers to a barricade involving an armed individual.
The Sheriff’s Department’s Specialized Enforcement Division provides specialized resources for high-risk law enforcement operations. Crisis negotiators were brought to the Mentone scene and attempted to secure the man’s surrender before the fatal exchange of gunfire.
Authorities have not said how long negotiators were in direct contact with the man or what was discussed during those efforts.
The roughly three-hour period between the initial report and the fatal shooting indicates deputies spent a significant amount of time at the location before gunfire was exchanged.
According to investigators, it was the man who began firing at deputies around 2 p.m.
Deputies then returned fire.
The Sheriff’s Department has not publicly released body-camera footage, dispatch recordings or other recordings from the encounter.
Officials also have not said whether nearby homes were evacuated or whether residents were ordered to shelter in place while the barricade was active.
Mentone is an unincorporated community served by the Sheriff’s Department. The Yucaipa Patrol Station provides law enforcement services for Mentone and other nearby unincorporated communities.
The fatal shooting now moves into a more detailed investigative phase.
Specialized Investigations detectives are expected to reconstruct the incident using physical evidence, statements from witnesses and deputies, and any available video or audio recordings.
Investigators may also examine the sequence of gunfire to establish exactly what happened when the man allegedly fired at deputies and officers returned fire.
Authorities have not announced whether the names of the deputies involved will be released.
The identity of the deceased man also remains withheld.
No information has been released regarding whether he had a prior criminal history, whether deputies had previously responded to the residence or whether there were known mental-health concerns connected to the incident.
None of those factors should be assumed until investigators provide additional information.
The Sheriff’s Department emphasized that no uninvolved residents or workers were injured despite the initial gunfire and later deputy-involved shooting.
The case remains active under the department’s Specialized Investigations Division.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact investigators at 909-890-4904, the phone number listed by the Specialized Investigations Division.
Additional details may be released as the investigation progresses.
