SUSPECT SHOT BY DEPUTY AFTER RAMMMING PATROL VEHICLE IN EL CAJON

Update: Video of the shooting has been released.  Caution, content may be disturbing:  click here

By Miriam Raftery

March 11, 2023 (El Cajon) – An Alpine man found in a stolen vehicle was shot in the legs by a San Diego Sheriff’s deputy in unincorporated El Cajon, rammed multiple vehicles and then fled.  Following a pursuit that ended in a roll-over crash, the suspect was apprehended while trying to hide in a backyard shed in the city of El Cajon.

The suspect has been identified as Brenten Kinzenbaw, 25, of Alpine. NBC San Diego reports the suspect was spotted Thursday night in a stolen truck parked on Oro Street in El Cajon. 

The Sheriff’s department has indicated the man disobeyed multiple orders to exit the vehicle and instead put the vehicle in reverse, crashing into a parked car.  He then drove forward, nearly hitting deputies and a bystander, and struck a patrol vehicle.

This prompted a deputy to open fire, striking the suspect in both legs.  The suspect fled in the vehicle, initiating a pursuit before crashing and rolling over on Second Street near Greenfield Drive.

He then fled on foot, prompting a search that included a helicopter. A resident observed the suspect hopping over a fence to try and hide in a shed in the backyard of a home on Arlington Place. The resident called 911.

The suspect was apprehended and taken to a hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds in his legs as well as injuries sustained in the crash.

He faces felony charges of vehicle theft, assault with a deadly weapon and felony evading arrest, according to San Diego Police, Fox 5 reports.

The deputy who shot the suspect served out of the Lakeside substation and has been with the Sheriff’s department for around five years, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. His name has not yet been released.

The deputy-involved shooting investigation will be led by San Diego Police Department, with the Sheriff’s Department conducting an administrative review.

The District Attorney's Office will review San Diego Police's investigation. The County's Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) is reviewing the incident and will provide appropriate recommendations. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and United States Attorney's Office are also monitoring the investigation

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact San Diego Police Department at (619)531-2293. You can also leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at (888)580-8477.