UPDATE
June 1, 2021
Sgt. Dominic Vaca, 43, died Monday night at a hospital. He was shot following a pursuit involving a person on a motorcycle. The person on the motorcycle was shot and killed by responding deputies.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff announced that Sgt. Vaca served 17 years with the department and served at the Morongo Basin Station. Law enforcement colleagues saluted as a procession carrying Vaca’s body arrived at the coroner’s office, NBC Los Angeles reported.
May 31, 2021
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — A deputy of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is in “serious condition” after coming under a hail of gunfire following the pursuit of a motorcyclist who failed to yield. The gunman was killed by other deputies who returned fire.
Deputies from the Morongo Basin station were monitoring off-highway vehicle violations when they spotted an infraction involving a street motorcyclist, NBC Los Angeles reported.
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner John McMahon said late Monday that deputies spotted a male motorcyclist who was riding without a license plate in the Yucca Valley area. When they attempted a traffic stop around 12:33 p.m., the rider fled, Fox News reported.
The suspect eventually stopped after a pursuit of an unspecified distance, but then fled on foot, apparently out of sight of pursuing deputies.
When authorities located the motorcycle, the rider was gone. However, as they approached the bike and attempted to locate the rider, the suspect suddenly re-appeared and began firing at deputies, McMahon said.
As a result, one of the deputies was hit by a spray of gunfire, Fox reported. Additional deputies who were at the termination point of the pursuit were able to return fire. The suspect died in the gun battle.
The wounded deputy was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he is receiving medical care for his injuries. As of Monday night the deputy is listed in “serious condition.”
