Officer Injured in Shooting Incident Near Santa Barbara’s La Cumbre Plaza

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – A man is in custody after multiple shots fired were reported near La Cumbre Plaza on Upper State Street around 9:30am this morning.

In a press release from Santa Barbara Police Department, an officer attempted to contact a suspect in the area of 100 S. La Cumbre Road. The suspect began to walk away before he turned around, pulled out what appeared to be a handgun and fire several shots at the officer, striking him in the head.

In response, the officer fired one round at 30-year-old Mitchell Grant Grote. Grote ran away from officers and barricaded himself inside a bathroom where he was held at gunpoint before being taken into custody just before 10:00am. The Santa Barbara Police Department says the suspect was not stuck by gunfire.

The suspect's weapon was determined to be a pellet gun.

According to the department, an officer was injured and transported to Cottage Hospital during the incident but is in stable condition.

Grote was arrested for attempted murder of a police officer and had a previous warrant for his arrest May 1st.

This came after he potentially violated his five-year probation for stabbing a man near Anacapa and De La Guerra Streets in January of 2023.

Grote served prison time for the stabbing charge and court records show that at times he had refused psychological evaluations.

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