Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputy dies after shooting in Lake Elsinore, suspect in custody

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (KABC) — A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy died after being shot in Lake Elsinore Friday afternoon.

“We are devastated to announce the passing of Deputy Darnell Calhoun who was killed in the line of duty this afternoon,” the department announced on Twitter.

The suspect in the shooting was critically wounded by another deputy who arrived on scene a short time after Calhoun was shot, officials said. That suspect was transported to the same hospital.

Sheriff Chad Bianco provided an update at a Friday evening press conference, but some details remained sketchy.

He said deputies were dispatched around 4:20 p.m. to the 18500 block of Hilldale Lane on a call related to possible domestic violence and a child custody dispute, and the sounds of a possible struggle in the background.

Calhoun was the first to arrive on scene. It’s not clear what happened next but a second deputy arrived and found Calhoun wounded in the street.

There was then an exchange of gunfire between that second deputy and the suspect, who ended up being shot.

Calhoun was shot and rushed to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar for surgery, initially listed in “serious condition.” Just before 8 p.m., officials confirmed that the deputy had died.

The suspect was transported to the hospital and was listed in critical condition.

Calhoun, 30, began his law enforcement career with San Diego police department, spending two years there before coming to Riverside County less than a year ago, in February 2022. He was assigned to the Lake Elsinore station.

He was married and his wife is expecting their first child.

“He was the most cheerful, the most positive, the most good, wholesome man you could imagine,” Bianco said.

KPBS, the public broadcaster in San Diego, recently did a profile featuring Calhoun which can be seen here.

Before recently, Riverside County had not had a deputy killed in the line of duty since 2003.

Now there have been two such fatal incidents about two weeks apart.

In late December, another Riverside County deputy, Isaiah Cordero, was shot and killed in a violent encounter with a felon who had a long record. The gunman in that incident was shot and killed by deputies after a chase.

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