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Santa Ana Teen May Have Committed 'Suicide By Cop'
Officers in Santa Ana fatally shot a man armed with a sawed-off shotgun Thursday night, however the ensuing investigation is revealing that the suspect was a 14-year-old boy who may have committed what's known as "suicide by cop."The teen, Jose Rodriguez Jr. of Santa Ana, apparently called 911 himself to say that there was a man armed with a gun on East Wisteria Place.
"Responding officers found a male standing on the north side of Wisteria in possession of a pistol-gripped shotgun, which doesn't have to be raised to the shoulder to shoot it," reports the O.C. Register, from an interview with Cpl. Anthony Bertagna. Officers ordered the suspect to drop the gun.
"He does not comply and in fact points the weapon at the officers, at which time the officers fired rounds striking the suspect," Bertagna said.
Rodriguez was taken to a nearby trauma center, but the high school freshman died of his wounds just after midnight.
Authorities in Santa Ana have found a suicide note in the boy's home, according to a live news broadcast on KCAL-9.
The investigation remains ongoing, per the Santa Ana Police Department.
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