Sheriff’s Sergeant Kills Man in Hospital
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JOSHUA TREE, Calif. — A sheriff’s sergeant fatally shot a man Sunday in a hospital lobby after the man grabbed the officer’s baton and struck him several times, authorities said.
David Chism, 28, of Yucca Valley died at Hi-Desert Medical Center in the 9 a.m. shooting, said San Bernardino County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Rick Carr.
The unidentified sheriff’s sergeant had been called to the hospital’s emergency room response to a disturbance, Carr said.
The sergeant was escorting Chism from the hospital when a fight broke out between the two and Chism was able to strike the sergeant with the deputy’s baton on the head, shoulders and arms, Carr said.
The sergeant pulled his gun and ordered Chism to drop the baton, but Chism continued to move toward the sergeant in a threatening manner, prompting the lawman to open fire, Carr said.
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