California sheriff’s sergeant recovering after exchanging gunfire with suspect who was killed

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California sheriff’s sergeant was recovering Friday after he was shot while exchanging gunfire with a suspect who was killed, authorities said.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department sergeant responded around 2 p.m. when a gas station employee said she had locked herself in a bathroom after a man threatened her with a gun in Victorville, the department said.

When the sergeant arrived, the suspect immediately started shooting at him. The 16-year department veteran then returned fire, Sheriff Shannon Dicus said.

Barbara Candelaria, who lives nearby, told KABC-TV she heard at least 10 gunshots.

The suspect, who was not immediately identified, was struck and died at the scene about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, Dicus said.

The sergeant, who also wasn’t identified, was treated at a hospital for two gunshot wounds to his legs and was expected to fully recover, the sheriff said.

Investigators were interviewing the gas station employee and plan to review surveillance footage and video from the sergeant’s body camera, Dicus said.