SHERIFF RELEASES VIDEO OF DEPUTY-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN SPRING VALLEY

By Miriam Raftery

May 17, 2023 (Spring Valley) -- The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has released video from a deputy-involved shooting that occurred on April 26 in Spring Valley. The deputy fired several rounds, seriously injuring a man who had charged at deputies with a metal bedframe in his residence in the 3600 block of South Barcelona Street.

Responding to a call  reporting that the suspect may have mental issues and had threatened to kill his roommate, deputies evacuated three residents and confirmed that the suspect had brandished the metal bedframe and threatened to kill everyone in the house. Deputies found probably cause to arrest the suspect for brandishing a weapon and making criminal threats.

According to Lieutenant Jud Campbell, deputies found the suspect in a bathroom,  still armed with the metal bedframe. He made rambling statements and told deputies to “shoot.”

Deputies brought in non-lethal resources including a canine officer and taser, as well as a psychiatric emergency response team.  After 15 minutes of negotiations, the suspect refused to drop the bedframe.  An officer deployed a taser which struck the suspect, but was ineffective.  The suspect then ran out of the bathroom toward deputies in the hallway with the metal bedframe held overhead.

“One of the deputies shot multiple rounds,”  Lt. Campbell says. The suspect fell to the ground and deputies administered life-saving aid. The suspect was transported to a hospital in serious but stable condition. 

The suspect in this case has been identified as Santo Marac, 45, of Sudan. On May 1, he was arraigned in the hospital for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of criminal threats and resisting arrest with violence.

The deputy involved in the shooting is identified as Benjamin Blake. He has been with the Sheriff’s Dept. for approximately a year and a half.  He is currently a patrol deputy at the Rancho San Diego substation.

The San Diego Police Department is investigating the shooting per a Memorandum of Agreement signed in 2022. This formal agreement adds a layer of transparency to ensure no agencies investigate their own shooting incidents.

The Sheriff’s Dept. will also conduct an administration investigation and the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board will also review the incident.  The Federal Bureau of Investigations and U.S. Attorney’s Office will also monitor the investigation.

“We are committed to transparency, public trust and compliance with the law,” a statement from San Diego Police Department reads.  

To watch the video, click the image or click here. Viewer discretion is advised.