Sheriff Donny Youngblood holds a press conference with an update on two officer-involved shootings

There have been two officer-involved shootings in a span of two weeks under the jurisdiction of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

23ABC’s Kristin Vartan has an update on the investigations.

DONNY YOUNGBLOOD HOLDING A LIVEPRESS BRIEFINGTHIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT TWORECENT SHOOTINGSINVOLVING TWO OF HIS SHERIFFDEPUTIES..

IN A CLIMATE..

WHEREHE SAYS LAW ENFORCEMENT ISFACING MORE ATTACKS.BUT WE DO WANT TO WARN OURVIEWERS TONIGHT THAT SOME OFTHE FOOTAGE THAT YOU ARE ABOUTTO SEE MAY BE HARD TOWATCH FOR SOME.23ABC'S KRISTIN VARTAN REPORTS..THE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'SDEPARTMENT HELD A PRESSERTHIS MORNING REGARDING TWORECENT SHOOTINGS INVOLVINGSHERIFF DEPUTIES.

SHERIFFYOUNGBLOOD SAYS THE COUNTY HASSEEN MORE OF THIS TYPE OFINCIDENT SINCE THE PANDEMICBEGAN.FRIDAY MORNING SHERIFF DONNYYOUNGBLOOD WENT OVER THEINVESTIGATIONS OF TWO SHOOTINGTHAT INVOLVED SHERIFFDEPUTIESTHE FIRST OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER3RD AT 6:52 IN THEMORNING WHEN ACCORDING TO THESHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTDEPUTY CHRIS SALDANA RECEIVED ACALL FROMDISPATCHERS ABOUT A MAN WITHRIFLE IN THE SMALL MININGCITY OF RANSBERG ON HWYFOURTEEN.

WHEN THE DEPUTYARRIVED AT THE LOCATION, HEFOUND TWOVEHICLES ALONGSIDE THE ROAD,AFTER PULLING UPINFORMATION ON THE CARS SALDANAFOUND THAT ONE VEHICLEWAS STOLEN BUT HAD NO ONEINSIDE.INSIDE THE SECOND VEHICLE THEDEPUTY ENCOUNTEREDTHIRTY-SEVEN-YEAR OLD FERNANDONAPOLES, WHOCHALLENGED SALDANA TO A FIGHT."WE ARE IN A TIME WHEN PEOPLEFEEL THAT THEY ARE NOT--WELLTHEY ARE NOT--HELD ACCOUNTABLEFOR A LOT OFTHEIR ACTIONS.WHEN YOU DON'T HOLD PEOPLEACCOUNTABLE, THEY TEND TOPUSH THAT ENVELOPE FURTHER ANDFURTHER."YOUNGBLOOD SAYS SALDANA MOVEDAWAY FROM NAPOLES.THE SUSPECT THEN WENT BACK TOTHE VEHICLE, PULLED OUT ASHOTGUN, AND POINTED IT AT THEDEPUTY.THAT'S WHEN SHERIFF OFFICIALSSAY DEPUTY SALDANAFIRED HIS GUN BUT NAPOLES DIDNOT STAND DOWN, DEPUTY SALDANATHEN FIRED AGAIN.NAPOLES WAS FOUND DECEASED ONTHE SCENE FROM THE SHOTS.LIEUTENANT SWANSON TELLING 23ABCDEPUTY SALDANAHAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN ASHOOTING BEFORE.THE SECOND CASE DISCUSSED IN THEPRESS CONFERENCE ISTHE INVESTIGATION SURROUNDING31-YEAR-OLDRICARDO USHER.

BODY CAM FOOTAGESHOWN AT THE PRESSCONFERENCE ARE OF THE MORNING OFSEPTEMBER 15,YOU'LL FIND THIRTY-ONE-YEAR OLDRICARDO USHER CHARGINGAT DEPUTY UBALDO WEISS WHILEMUTTERING INCOHERENTLY.WEISS ASKS USHER TO STOP, BUT HEKEEPS GOING.YOUNGBLOOD SAYS WEISS TRIED TOWAIT FOR BACK-UP BEFOREAPPROACHING THE TWO SUSPECTSWITH A STOLEN VEHICLETHAT HE WAS INVESTIGATING ONMONETA.BUT ACTED WITH A FIRESHOT TO THEUNEXPECTED ATTACK FROMUSHER, A THIRD PARTY."HE IS CHARGED WITH A PCC69, ORINTERFERING WITH THE PEACEOFFICER IN THE PERFORMANCE OFTHEIR DUTIES."K-C-S-O DOESN'T BELIEVE THESTOLEN VEHICLE AND THE SUSPECTARE RELATED.THE INCIDENCE IS NOT WEISS'FIRST OFFICER-INVOLVEDSHOOTING.

HE HAD BEEN ANOTHER ACOUPLE YEARSAGO."WHEN YOU COME RUNNING AT ANOFFICER, AT 1:30 IN THE MORNING,IN THAT TYPE OF SITUATION,WHETHER YOU HAVE AMENTAL HEALTH ISSUE OR WHETHERYOU'RE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OFDRUGS,AND OR ALCOHOL, IT MAKES ME NODIFFERENCE.

WHAT I DO KNOW ISTHATYOU'RE GOING TO ATTEMPT TO HURTME."WHETHER USHER WAS UNDER THEINFLUENCE HAS YET TO BECONCLUDED FROM THE TOXICOLOGYREPORT.

HE IS CURRENTLYRECOVERING IN THE HOSPITAL."WHEN YOU PULL A TRIGGER, INTHISBUSINESS/PROFESSION, A LOT OFTHINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN, NONEOFTHEM ARE GOOD.

WE ALL KNOW THAT.YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUBJECT TO ALAWSUIT, SUBJECT TO SCRUTINY BYTHE SHERIFF, BY THE MEDIA...THEPUBLIC,IT'S JUST A PART OF WHAT WE DO.WE ACCEPT THAT.

WE HOLD THEMACCOUNTABLE WHEN THEY DOSOMETHING WRONG.

IN THISPARTICULAR CASE WE HAVEN'TGOTTEN TO THAT POINT YET.

BUTRIGHT NOW, I CAN'T SEE THAT IWOULD'VEDONE ANYTHING DIFFERENT."SWANSON TOLD 23ABC BOTHINVESTATIONS ARE PENDING REVIEWBY THE CRITICAL INCIDENT REVIEWBOARD.

KSCO IS FINISHING UPINFORMATION TO MAKEPRESENTATION.TAKING YOU INTO THE LIVE CENTERNOW --