A body-worn camera “became deactivated” during a deadly altercation, in which a 33-year-old man was fatally shot after stabbing a Riverside County deputy several times with a screwdriver in Rancho Mirage, Sheriff Chad Bianco said Monday.
“When we have a critical incident, we want to share as much information as possible as soon as the investigation allows,” Bianco said in an introduction to a four-minute narrative — posted on the sheriff’s Facebook page — concerning the Aug. 7 death of Jeffery Monroy of Cathedral City in the 70000 block of Tamarisk Lane.
According to the sheriff’s documentary-style video compilation, a resident at the end of the cul-de-sac reported about 2:40 p.m. that a man wearing all black clothing and a black bandana had entered her backyard while she was in the pool and asked to use her phone.
A lone deputy then arrived and encountered two men standing near a parked car in the cul-de-sac, including Monroy, who’s attire matched the description the resident had provided, according to Bianco.
“As the deputy parked his patrol car, he activated his body-worn camera and exited his vehicle. As he walked toward the two men, almost immediately, one of the men, later identified as Jeffery Monroy, attacked our deputy and began stabbing him with a screwdriver in the torso, head and neck.” Bianco said. “During this violent physical altercation, the deputy’s body-worn camera became deactivated and therefore only captured a few seconds of the attack.”
A one-second snippet of body-worn camera footage was included the sheriff’s video, showing a man dressed in black with a black bandana around his neck in front of the deputy as the frame shakes and the deputy yells an indistinguishable word.
Bianco did not specify how the body-worn camera shut off, but he did say an investigation remains underway into the shooting by both the department and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Bianco said several witnesses told investigators that they saw the deputy retreat backward while shielding his face and head with his hands while getting stabbed. During the attack, Bianco said the second man intervened and pulled Monroy away from the deputy.
“The suspect was able to break free and again advance toward the deputy, and at that point a deputy-involved shooting occurred,” Bianco said, citing additional witness testimony.
Monroy was pronounced dead at the scene, and a screwdriver was found nearby, Bianco said.
The deputy was hospitalized and released the next day. He was subsequently placed on administrative leave, as is typical following law enforcement shootings, but has since gone back to work, sheriff’s Sgt. Deanna Pecoraro said Monday.
Pecoraro said the deputy’s name will not be released “as of now.”
It remains unclear how many times Monroy was shot. He had no documented felony convictions in Riverside County.
The video can be viewed at www.facebook.com/RCSD.Official.