Sandy MaloneLake Elsinore, CA – Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Darnell Calhoun was fatally shot while responding to domestic violence call at a home in Lake Elsinore on Friday afternoon.
The incident occurred at about 4:20 p.m. on Jan. 14 when Deputy Calhoun was the first law enforcement officer to arrive in the 18000-block of Hilldale Lane in the unincorporated area of Lakeland Village, CBS News reported.
The sheriff’s department said that as Deputy Calhoun approached the residence, the suspect opened fire on him.
A second deputy arrived on the scene and the suspect began shooting at him, too, according to CBS News.
The second deputy returned fired and the suspect was wounded.
More deputies arrived on the scene and the suspect was taken into custody, CBS News reported.
Then deputies found Deputy Calhoun suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and rushed him to the hospital in a police SUV in serious condition.
The suspect was transported to the hospital for treatment and remains in critical condition, CBS News reported.
Deputy Calhoun, 30, later died of his wounds at the hospital.
The deputy was the father of two- and four-year-old sons and his widow is pregnant, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“His family and serving the community were his world,” Riverside Sheriffs’ Association President Bill Young said. “Sadly now his unborn child must grow up without a devoted and loving father.”
Deputy Calhoun had switched law enforcement agencies in 2022 – from the San Diego Police Department to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department – so that he could be closer to his family.
Deputy Calhoun’s family runs a very popular and well-known restaurant in Murrieta called Calhoun Family Texas Barbeque, the Los Angeles Times reported.
What Deputy Darnell Calhoun didn’t share, because he was humble, that I know now is that his family is the Calhoun family of the local beloved Calhoun Texas BBQ in Murrieta. Where you will always see his father smoking ribs. This is a huge loss for this close knit community. pic.twitter.com/PPIpUXr03U
— Kitty Alvarado (@HeyKitty) January 14, 2023
The young deputy was featured in a KPBS news story in March of last year about transferring from the highly-respected San Diego Police Department.
“Morale feels really good here,” Deputy Calhoun said at the time. “Morale in San Diego, yeah, it was touch and go.”
Deputy Calhoun was the second Riverside County sheriff’s deputy to be shot in the line of duty in the past two weeks, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Riverside County Sheriff’s was murdered in the line of duty on Dec. 29, 2022, while trying to apprehend a career criminal who was out on bail.
We are devastated to announce the passing of Deputy Darnell Calhoun who was killed in the line of duty this afternoon.
Updates will follow as soon as more information becomes available. pic.twitter.com/jFPtjN1fFA
— Riverside County Sheriff (@RSO) January 14, 2023
We are devastated to announce the passing of Deputy Darnell Calhoun who was killed in the line of duty this afternoon.
Updates will follow as soon as more information becomes available. pic.twitter.com/jFPtjN1fFA
— Riverside County Sheriff (@RSO) January 14, 2023
We are devastated to learn of the passing of @RSO Deputy Darnell Calhoun, an SDPD officer until 2022.
This evening, he was killed in the line of duty while protecting Lake Elsinore. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, & colleagues in SDPD and @RSO. #SDPD6901 pic.twitter.com/ub48XjR33s— San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) January 14, 2023
HAPPENING NOW: Law enforcement officers from across Southern California are escorting fallen Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Darnell Calhoun up the 215 freeway to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office in Perris pic.twitter.com/jyKexLMgt4
— Chris Cristi (@abc7chriscristi) January 14, 2023
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Darnell Calhoun, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Deputy Darnell Calhoun, your life mattered.
Holly Matkin
