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Officers of the El Centro Police Department responded to a theft at a business in the 1800 block of South Imperial Avenue on Thursday, on August 31 at 6:09 a.m. It was reported that the suspect left the business with stolen property and was followed by the caller.

Upon arriving, officers located the suspect fleeing westbound on Ocotillo Drive and noticed he was carrying a brick in his hand. Officers contacted the suspect in the 1900 block of Ocotillo Drive. The preliminary investigation indicates officers verbally commanded the suspect to stop and drop the brick. The suspect failed to comply, turned toward the officers, and attempted to assault one of the officers with a brick, prompting an officer-involved shooting. The suspect was struck by gunfire, stopping the assault on the officer.

“It is of the utmost importance a comprehensive investigation is conducted,” said El Centro Police Chief Robert Sawyer. “Due to the complexity and nature of these situations, these investigations can take a substantial amount of time to complete. We will release more information as it becomes available.”

Officers provided medical aid for the suspect until paramedics from the El Centro Fire Department and American Medical Response (AMR) arrived. The suspect was transported to El Centro Regional Medical Center but did not survive. Currently, the suspect is only being identified as a 31-year-old male resident of the City of El Centro.