Armed man dies after being shot by Sacramento County deputies

An unidentified man died Sunday morning after Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies shot him along Marconi Avenue. The deadly confrontation occurred near a shopping center carwash during an emergency response.

The identity of the deceased man is not established. The sheriff’s office said witnesses described him as a homeless man.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. near a local carwash. Deputies responded to a caller reporting an unknown male asleep behind the business with a handgun on his lap.

“The caller stated that there was an unknown male behind the carwash here, behind me, asleep on the ground with a firearm on his lap, a handgun, to be specific,” Sgt. Edward Igoe said.

Sgt. Edward Igoe said the caller believed the man had shot at her and her husband Saturday night. Deputies used a vehicle horn to wake the man from a distance.

Officials gave several verbal commands to the man. They told him not to reach for his weapon.

“He reaches for the firearm, sets it next to him at one point,” Igoe said. “They continue to give him more and more directives to try take him into custody safely.”

Deputies eventually directed the man to stand up. He began walking back with his hands raised.

According to Igoe, the man then turned toward a deputy and reached down. An officer-involved shooting occurred immediately.

Three deputies fired their weapons during the encounter. None of the deputies suffered injuries.

Witness Marcell Johnson arrived at the Marconi Avenue scene because his sister saw the shooting. Another deputy shooting occurred weeks earlier near Watt and Edison avenues.

“It’s kinda getting crazy. It is getting crazy. Usually you don’t have too many shootings around this area,” Johnson said. “It seems like it’s just getting more frequent I guess.”

Caution tape sealed the shopping center perimeter on Sunday afternoon. Several people at the scene reported seeing security video of the event.

The sheriff’s office said the inquiry remains in early stages. Officials have not stated if the shooting was justified.

“It’s a scary call,” Sgt. Igoe said. “It really is. This is something that nobody wants to happen.”

Law enforcement agencies place personnel on administrative leave following critical incidents. Internal investigators review evidence and witness statements to determine whether actions followed department policy.

The three involved deputies remain on administrative leave. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the fatal shooting.