Police have confirmed that it was a 16-year-old boy who lived at a group home nearby that allegedly stole an off duty Kern County Sheriff's detention deputy's personal black semi-automatic out of his unlocked car.
BPD says the deputy was getting ready to leave, putting things in his car, when he ran back into the house. When he came back outside, he found the suspect with his gun and confronted him. The boy ran towards the youth home and accidentally fired the weapon, twice.
After seven hours of negotiating and trying to communicate with the teen, officers were able to make entry just after midnight and took the juvenile into custody.
KCSO declined to comment about their deputy saying that it was a BPD investigation and that they have not initiated an administrative investigation of their own. They don't plan to investigate until the criminal investigation is complete.
A law enforcement expert and retired police captain, C. W. Jensen, weighed in on the incident saying that the deputy was just a victim of a crime.
"Your car. Your gun. That has nothing to do with the department. I don't see where he did anything wrong," said Jensen.
Jensen said every gun owner should use this incident as an example on how to care for your firearm.
“It’s a great lesson for everyone that carries a firearm. You get used to it, you can forget things so firearms and things like that you always should take care of,” said Jensen.
23 ABC is scheduled to speak to the owner of that group home about the standoff and the teen involved on Friday.
