Suspect killed in Thousand Oaks Officer-involved shooting identified
–UPDATE–
The man who was shot by Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies early Wednesday morning has been identified as Michael Johnson, 26, of Thousand Oaks.
Johnson was involved in a crash at 1:14 a.m. on Oct. 10, 2018, on Hillcrest Drive east of Duesenberg Drive in Thousand Oaks.
According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson confronted responding deputies with a knife and moved towards them when deputies attempted to contact him. The deputies tried to convince Johnson to drop the knife but he did not, after which, the deputies fired beanbag rounds from a less-lethal shotgun, striking Johnson multiple times in an effort to ends the confrontation safely.
However, authorities say Johnson kept advancing towards the deputies in a threatening manner forcing them to fire their guns. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Sheriff’s Office has identified the deputies involved as Sgt. Russell King, a 23-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Justyn Czyrklis, a 6-year veteran.
ORIGINAL STORY
Authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting that left a 26-year-old man dead Wednesday morning in Thousand Oaks.
Shortly after 1 a.m., Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a vehicle collision in which the driver had driven off the roadway and crashed through a fence on Hillcrest Drive east of Duesenberg Drive. Authorities say when deputies tried talking to the driver, he confronted them with a knife.
“Deputies tried to convince the man to drop the knife, but he did not comply. Deputies fired a less-lethal beanbag shotgun at the man multiple times in an effort to safely end the confrontation. However, the man did not drop the knife and continued to advance toward the deputies in a threatening manner, leaving them no choice but to use lethal force,” said a statement by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputies fired their guns striking the suspect who was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet released the name of the deputies involved or the suspect but describe him as a 26-year-old male adult and resident of Thousand Oaks.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call Detective Beau Rodriguez of the Sheriff’s Major Crime Bureau at 805-384-4723.
