A Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy shot a man he stopped for questioning shortly after 11 a.m. today after the man began pummeling the officer, a department spokesman said.
The man, whose identity was not immediately available, was with a juvenile. The two were walking away from a closed county building in the 2700 block of Fulton Avenue when the lone officer stopped his car to ask why they were in the area, Sheriff's public information officer Deputy Jason Ramos said.
"When he got out of his car and called them over, one of them swung a punch and tried to hit (the deputy)," Ramos said. "Then he started to run away."
The juvenile did not run, Ramos said.
"The deputy chased the guy and caught up to him near and embankment" that overlooks a creek about 20 feet below, he said. "The guy started fighting. Together they fell down the embankment and landed in the creek below, partially submerged in the water."
Ramos said the deputy was pinned underneath his assailant, who started pummeling him in the face and refused to stop.
"The officer was physically unable to get the suspect off, so he drew his gun and fired two rounds and struck the suspect twice," Ramos said, "once in the stomach and once in the leg."
The wounds were not life-threatening, the spokesman said.
He said investigators later recovered a firearm from the creek where the two had landed.
Ramos said it is unclear why the man, who was on foot, reacted violently to the deputy's attempts to question him.
The deputy, a 14-year veteran, was treated for facial injuries at an area hospital and released.
The suspect was taken to the hospital for treatment, Ramos said. When he is released, he will be booked for investigation of felony assault on a police officer, Ramos said.
The juvenile was detained for questioning.
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