Authorities detained a sheriff’s deputy under the influence after it was claimed that he attempted to drive past the main gate of Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado on Friday night, prompting base guards to shoot his car.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Cruz attempted to enter the gate on Third Street and Alameda Boulevard about 10:30 p.m. local time but was not authorized to do so since he was off duty.
A Navy spokesperson said Cruz acted aggressively and disobeyed the gate guards’ directions. Cruz tried to drive into base, and many guards started shooting.
Drunk Deputy ‘Tries’ to Drive Through Coronado Naval Base Gate
The sheriff’s office said that sergeant Michael Cruz, a 17-year veteran, was off-duty when he was detained on a DUI charge and lodged in the San Diego Central Prison.
No one was wounded, authorities noted in the announcement, despite military guards at Naval Air Station North Island firing shots at Cruz’s vehicle after he passed through the checkpoint.
Fox News added that the incident led to a temporary lockdown of the facility.
Cruz is on paid administrative leave awaiting an internal inquiry and was released on his own recognizance. Cruz is a member of the emergency planning detail for the sheriff.
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Number of Arrested Officials
Cruz is at least the fifth deputy sheriff to be detained this year, San Diego Tribune reported.
Deputy Cory Richey was detained in January after it was claimed that he repeatedly took prescription medications from a drop box inside a sheriff’s office. He was placed on paid leave and entered a not guilty plea to charges of burglary and narcotics possession in San Diego Superior Court.
In February, officials arrested three more deputies. Deputy Allen Wereski, 48, was arrested on February 3 after police claimed they discovered cocaine in his vehicle outside of prison. The 48-year-old has entered a not-guilty plea to a charge of having narcotics on prison grounds in San Diego Superior Court. If found guilty, he could spend up to four years in jail. Wereski was fired from the department and placed on indefinite leave without pay.
During a confrontation in a Ramona bar the next day, deputies Shawn Kobs and Tara Heath were taken into custody. The two deputies were allegedly involved in the confrontation and were detained on grounds of public drunkenness, according to the department.
There was no immediate update on their situations.
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