On February 21, just past 10 a.m., the Hemet Fire Department responded to reports of a gunshot wound victim in the 800 block of South State Street.

Arriving crews located a victim in the backyard of a home. The victim was shot an unknown number of times by police during an officer involved shooting. The cause of the officer involved shooting is unknown at this time.

A woman stating to be the mother of the man who was shot said that police entered the home and confronted her son and shot him dead. Unknown any other details and it's unknown why police were at the home or if the subject was armed when confronting officers.

South State Street between Wright Street and Johnston Street was closed to traffic in both directions pending the conclusion of the investigation.

*FROM HEMET PD PRESS RELEASE*

On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at approximately 10:09 am, Hemet Police Department Officers were conducting a follow-up investigation in the 800 block of South Harvard Street in the city of Hemet regarding a recent theft.

While searching the backyard of the South Harvard Street residence, officers encountered an armed male in an adjacent backyard. This male was later discovered to be unrelated to the initial investigation and a resident of the neighboring home.

As a result of the contact, an officer-involved shooting occurred, and the male sustained a gunshot wound. Lifesaving measures were immediately administered, and the male was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

No officers were injured during this incident. The involved officer has been placed on administrative leave per department policy. The name of the involved officer will not be released at this time.

As in the case of every officer-involved shooting in the city of Hemet, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Force Investigation Detail, aided by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, will conduct this investigation. This is an active and ongoing investigation; anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

For further media inquiries regarding this incident, contact the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.