One person dead in officer-involved shooting in the Foothills
Paul Vozzella
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) says one person died in an officer-involved shooting Tuesday night.
According to a press release, it happened in the area of S. Avenue 12 E and 36th Place at around 7:22 p.m.
Upon arrival, YCSO says deputies were informed about the suspect, identified as 77-year-old Lewis Berne of Yuma, shooting a firearm outside his home and was making suicidal statements.
As deputies tried to de-escalate the situation, Berne was said to be “non-compliant to verbal commands” and was seen stepping in and out of the home while holding a handgun, which Berne refused to drop.
After Berne fired the handgun, YCSO says deputies shot him and performed life-saving measures before he was taken to Onvida Health where he later died.
YCSO says the Yuma Regional Critical Incident Response Team took over the investigation, with the deputies being placed on modified duty.
However, no other injuries were reported.
The investigation is ongoing. If anyone has any information regarding the case, call YCSO at (928) 783-4427, 78-CRIME to remain anonymous, or visit YCSO’s website to submit an anonymous tip.