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Deputies cleared in deadly shootout on Soboba reservation
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Deputies cleared in deadly shootout on Soboba reservation
Deputies cleared in deadly shootout on Soboba reservation
Riverside County authorities say sheriff’s deputies were legally justified when they shot and killed a member of the Soboba Indian tribe last year. KPCC’s Steven Cuevas has details.
Steven Cuevas: The standoff happened late at night on the Soboba Indian reservation. Deputies say they had responded to the sound of gunshots when they came under fire. Nine deputies got pinned down. The deputies say the barrage of gunfire was so intense they thought they were going to die.
Deputies shot and killed Soboba tribe member Eli Morillo after he allegedly aimed an assault rifle at them. Morillo was the son of a tribal chairwoman. The Riverside County district attorney’s investigation concluded the deputies acted in self-defense. A second armed suspect was never found. Another tribe member was arrested after he allegedly drove a truck at deputies.
Two other Soboba tribe members were killed four days later after they allegedly ambushed deputies on the reservation. The DA’s investigation into that shooting isn’t finished. Relatives of the dead tribe members have filed wrongful death claims, alleging excessive force.
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