Lompoc police said the teen shot in the chest by an officer Saturday night was armed with a fork. Police arrested the hospitalized 17-year-old on two counts of attempted homicide.
On Friday afternoon, the teen’s parents called Santa Barbara County mental health services for help with their 17-year-old son who was fighting with a sibling. Police officers then took the teen into protective custody and transported him to Lompoc Valley Medical Center.
However, the teen jumped through a glass door, fled the hospital and then assaulted his brother with a dumbbell. The brother was transported to a hospital with a head injury and released.
Officer Timothy Xiong found the teen on the street and told him to stop, police said. However, the teen walked towards Xiong with a fork the officer mistook for a knife. The officer then shot the teen in the upper torso.
The teen was taken back into custody and transported to a local hospital. He is expected to survive the shooting.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has concluded its investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
