At approximately 1:18 a.m. early Friday, Lompoc Police officers arrived at the Circle K gas station off the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue, responding to reports of an attempted armed robbery and carjacking.
Once units arrived on scene, an officer-involved shooting ensued, leaving one man dead.
Sergeant Scott Morgan with the Lompoc Police Department says just two hours before the shooting, a man robbed a clerk at the Circle K, getting away with alcohol and cash.
He says officers tried searching for him, but he ran away from the scene.
“At about 1:18 a.m., they were called back to a subject that was once again armed. He was at the pumps and attempted to carjack a victim,” Sgt. Morgan told KSBY.
He adds that the attempted carjacking victim then escaped their vehicle through the passenger side and dialed 911.
In the meantime, Sgt. Morgan says the same man then tried robbing the Circle K again, and after an unsuccessful attempt, he exited the store where he was confronted by Lompoc Police officers.
“That is when LPD officers met him at the front door, engaged him, and an officer-involved shooting ensued,” Sgt. Morgan explained.
According to Lompoc Police, officers provided medical aid to the man until first responders arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hours later, Carlos Izquierdo and his hazmat crew were called in to clean up. Izquierdo, who is also a resident of the Lompoc community, admits he was shaken to learn what happened.
“I think it is pretty wild, to be honest, but you can’t control what people do. So, thank you to the Lompoc Police Department for protecting the city as they do,” he said.
Police say after the officer-involved shooting took place, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputies also arrived to conduct their own investigation.
Sgt. Morgan says the identity of the deceased male will be withheld until his next of kin is notified.
“All the officers are okay, and no one else was hurt that I am aware of,” he said.
Portions of Ocean Avenue along Seventh Street saw brief closures Friday morning while Lompoc Police and Sheriff’s deputies were on scene investigating.
Sgt. Morgan is encouraging anyone with information to reach out to police.
The last deadly officer-involved shooting to happen in Lompoc was in October 2021. In that incident, the officer’s use of force was deemed justified by the district attorney's office.
