A man is dead on the Central Coast following a more than two hour long confrontation with police. It started just after 10 p.m. Sunday, when Santa Maria Police ran into the man during an investigation on the 1000 block of West Morrison Avenue.
Officer say the man was armed, but they didn’t say with what type of weapon. They say he refused orders to surrender, even after non-lethal projectiles were used. The man ran into a nearby apartment complex. Crisis negotiators were brought in to help.
But, they say he refused to disarm, or surrender. Officers say he eventually tried to break into an occupied apartment. Fearing for the safety of the residents, they opened fire, fatally shooting the man.
His name hasn’t been released. Officers say he was wanted for a probation violation. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will investigate the handling of the incident.
