California Fire NewsRival campers who opened fire on each other at campground turns out that the rival gun-toting campers were both Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies
An apparent booze-fueled dispute over loud music between two groups at a Chino campground over the weekend escalated to the point where men from both sides drew guns and opened fire.
No one was hurt, but the two alleged gunmen have plenty to explain.
Feuding L.A. County deputies, both off duty camping at Prado Regional Park, apparently didn’t know they were colleagues.
Authorities suspect the off-duty cops learned they were colleagues only after their campground showdown.
Chino police officers were called to Prado Regional Park early Sunday morning. They arrested the deputies — Dejay Barber, 44, and Matthew Rincon, 24 — on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm.
Chino police Lt. Wes Simmons, when asked if he’d ever come across a similar scene, couldn’t stifle a chuckle: “That’s not fair for you to ask me that,” he said, before acknowledging that he hadn’t.
Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said both deputies have been relieved of duty with pay. He said the men brandished their guns in a “threatening manner.”
They did not fire at each other, he said, but into the air.
“Alcohol is suspected,” Whitmore said. “This is gross negligence.”
It’s unclear if there were other campers nearby when the off-duty deputies began shooting. Multiple rounds were fired.
“I don’t know how many, but more than one,” Whitmore said.
Whitmore said the department is taking the latest incident seriously.
One of the deputies works in the county courts, Whitmore said, and the other in the department’s transit services division. The criminal investigation will be handled by the Chino police.
Both were arrested and transported to the Chino Police Department and released to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
No press release was issued about the campground gunfire. The Times learned of the incident through a source.
Dejay Barber, 44, and Matthew Rincon, 24 did not realize the other was an officer until after the argument.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said “alcohol is suspected” to have been a factor when two off-duty deputies allegedly fired their guns during a dispute over loud music at a campground this past weekend.The deputies — Dejay Barber, 44, and Matthew Rincon, 24 — were arrested on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm after Chino police officers were called to Prado Regional Park early Sunday morning.Authorities suspect that the off-duty deputies learned they were colleagues only after their campground showdown.
Both deputies have been relieved of duty with pay.Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said Monday that the men allegedly brandished their guns in a “threatening manner.” They did not fire at each other, he said, but into the air.“Alcohol is suspected,” Whitmore said. “This is gross negligence.”It’s unclear if there were other campers nearby when the off-duty deputies began shooting, officials said, but multiple rounds were fired.“I don’t know how many, but more than one,” Whitmore said.One of the deputies works in the county courts, Whitmore said, and the other is in the department’s transit services division. The criminal investigation will be handled by Chino police, he said.
http://calfire.blogspot.com/2013/08/no-lacsd-press-release-issued-as-2-off.html
How many rounds did these fools fire and did any of those rounds ‘fired into the air’ come down elsewhere and hurt anyone or damage any private structures?
Them cops have the only job around to be relieved of dity and still get a paycheck. Yea if this was any one else – if we were not shot or beat – we would probobly have been charged with something like public drunkeness, intoxicated use of a firearm, dangerous/recklous use of a firearm, and probobly a few felonies to just take the firearms away.
Dam!!! If it were you or me, we would be dead. These jokers get a paid vacation. New World Justice, it is. DAM!!!!
If I even carry my firearm while drinking I’m getting a felony charge and all my rights revoked! Why do these assholes get to have a drink and carry and I don’t?
Such a shame they didn’t shoot each other.
Used to fish Prado years ago. Nice park, nice size fish stocked.
Idiots.
They need their firearms confiscated.
Permanently.
Now let two civillians reenact the same scenario in the same spot but not be drunk and see how they are treated.