RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The suspect in the fatal shooting of Riverside
County Sheriff’s Deputy Darnell Calhoun was identified today as Jesse Navarro,
a 42-year-old Lake Elsinore resident.
Navarro was shot by one or more deputies and remained hospitalized in
critical condition Saturday, according to the sheriff’s department.
Calhoun, 30, who had joined the department less than a year ago, was
shot Friday while responding to a call near Lake Elsinore regarding “unknown
trouble,” authorities said. He died later at a nearby hospital.
Sheriff Chad Bianco announced his death Friday during a 9 p.m. news
conference outside Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar.
“I shouldn’t be here tonight having to do this again,” Bianco said.
“I’m devastated to tell of the loss of another of our deputy sheriffs who was
killed in the line of duty today.”
The Riverside Sheriff’s Association called Calhoun’s death the loss of
“another hero way too early in life.”
“Deputy Darnell Calhoun answered the call to serve, defend and
protect our community. … Deputy Calhoun was a leader in community policing,
believed in people and his ability to speak to the community with respect; meet
them where they are in life; try to understand their needs; and work together
to find solutions to the issues they were facing. To Darnell, being a Police
Officer in San Diego and Deputy in Riverside was about making the community a
better and safer place for everyone.
“Our heart aches for the family, friends, and fellow deputies of
Darnell Calhoun, and we ask everyone to take a moment to remember his selfless
service.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the following statement Saturday morning:
“Jennifer and I are heartbroken by the loss of Deputy Calhoun, a
dedicated public servant who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all those he served with at the
Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, who are mourning the painful loss of
another deputy weeks ago. Deputy Calhoun died a hero and his bravery and
selfless service will always be remembered.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also offered his condolences.
“Deputy Darnell Calhoun represented the best of the California spirit
— protecting and serving the public with valor,” Bonta said Saturday.
“On behalf of the nearly 6,000 men and women of the California Department of
Justice, I extend our deepest condolences to Deputy Calhoun*s family,
colleagues, and the entire Riverside community. His service and sacrifice will
not be forgotten.”
Law enforcement agencies from throughout Southern California also
offered their condolences.
“Our Partners @RSO have suffered another unimaginable loss,” Los
Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna tweeted. “Dep Darnell Calhoun gave his life
in the service of others. Sheriff Bianco, on Behalf of the @LASDHQ, I offer my
sincerest condolences. My Family, agency, and @CountyofLA will hold you and
@RSO in our hearts & prayers.”
“To our brothers and sisters of (the) Riverside County Sheriff’s
Dept., no words can express our deepest sorrow for the loss of Deputy Darnell
Calhoun,” the Orange County Sheriff’s Department tweeted. “Our thoughts and
prayers are for you, his family, and his friends. We will honor him, mourn him,
and stand beside you in every way.”
“We mourn the loss of Deputy Darnell Calhoun who gave his life in the
line of duty,” the California Highway Patrol tweeted. “Our thoughts and
prayers are with his loved ones, and the entire law enforcement community. We
are forever grateful for the sacrifices made by our officers to keep our
communities safe.”
“The incident began around 4:20 p.m. Friday, when a dispatcher took a
call and “in the background she heard voices and it sounded like a
confrontation was occurring,” Bianco said.
Deputies were dispatched to the 18500 block of Hilldale Lane, just
east of Grand Avenue, in the unincorporated community of Lakeland Village
bordering Lake Elsinore.
“As Deputy Calhoun approached the residence, the suspect began
shooting at him, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred. As an additional
deputy arrived, the suspect engaged him with gunfire as well. The suspect was
ultimately wounded and taken into custody,” the sheriff’s department said in a
news released Saturday.
Authorities said the second deputy involved in the shooting will be
placed on paid administrative leave according to department policy. The name of
the involved deputy will not be released at this time.
Nearby Lakeland Village Middle School, where students participating in
an after-school program were still on campus, went on lockdown during the
incident, witnesses said.
“The second deputy on the scene found Deputy Calhoun wounded in the
street,” Bianco said. “A gunfight ensued with the suspect who was shot. The
suspect was treated at the scene and transported to the hospital. He is
currently in critical condition.”
Reports from the scene indicated the suspect may have also been taken
Inland Valley Medical Center, but there was no immediate confirmation.
Sheriff’s officials said an investigator from the Riverside County
District Attorney’s Office will lead the investigation, aided by the sheriff’s
Force Investigations Detail. Anyone with information about the incident was
urged to contact DA Investigator Mario Moreno at 951-334-0407,
mariomoreno@rivcoda.org, or Riverside County Sheriff’s Investigator Jarred
Bishop at 951-955-1700.
Bianco described Calhoun as a “husband, a son and would have been a
dad,” adding that the slain deputy’s wife is pregnant.
He said there wasn’t one person who had a negative thing to say about
Calhoun, who joined the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in February 2022
after spending two years with the San Diego Police Department.
“He was always so positive,” Bianco said.
The sheriff said Calhoun also has a “fantastic family”.
“I remember when he was sworn in,” Bianco said. “I hugged his
mother and told her I would take care of him.
“We are sadly in a time when some people have no respect for other
people and no respect for law enforcement. Those people are willing to engage
in gunfights with law enforcement over minor things.”
Late Friday, a procession of law enforcement officers escorted
Calhoun’s body from Inland Valley Medical Center to the coroner’s office in
Perris.
Funeral services are pending.
The official fund set up to help the family can be found online at: https://helpahero.com/campaign/deputy-darnell-calhoun
The shooting came 15 days after Deputy Isaiah Albert Cordero was
fatally shot during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley Dec. 29, which had been the
first line-of-duty death of a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy in 15 years.
Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.
