The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has released body-camera footage showing a man suspected in a hit-and-run case firing shots at a deputy before officers began shooting back at him. The incident took place in a parking lot in Thousand Palms in October.
The shootings occurred after deputies stopped a car with two occupants near the intersection of Ramon Road and Robert Road. This intersection is located east of Interstate 10 and near a popular In-N-Out Burger. The car that was stopped was suspected to be involved in a felony hit-and-run case, according to Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
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As one deputy was detaining the driver of the car, two additional deputies arrived to assist with the investigation. As the two deputies approached the passenger side of the vehicle, the seated passenger pulled out a pistol and fired shots at the deputies. The passenger then barricaded himself inside the vehicle and refused to follow further commands.
Officials from the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau, the California Highway Patrol, and other agencies arrived to assist. The passenger later pointed his handgun again at police officers on the scene, resulting in more shots being fired by the officers.
One deputy was hit by the gunfire and transported to a hospital. The deputy is currently recovering from his injuries. The suspected shooter, identified as Kristian Galeana of Thousand Palms, was also taken to a hospital and is recovering from his injuries while in sheriff’s custody. The driver of the car was uninjured.
Body-camera footage released by the department shows the sequence of events, with deputies retreating and returning fire after the initial shots were fired. Two other deputies also fired at the suspect while instructing him to put his hands down.
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Galeana, 27, has been charged with several felony counts, including first-degree attempted murder. The driver, Jose Eduardo Rosales Perez, is facing several felony charges as well, including attempted murder of a peace officer and possession of a firearm as a felon.
The shootings are currently under investigation by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and the sheriff department’s Force Investigations Detail.
