Print friendly
E-mail story
Contact an Editor
iPod friendly
Comments
Bookmark This
del.icio.us.
Digg!
furl
google
newsvine
reddit
technorati
Facebook
Yahoo!A man was shot and killed by a Santa Barbara police officer outside The Habit Burger Grill restaurant on State Street just before midnight Friday. Witnesses described hearing multiple shots — reports varied from five shots, to seven, to an entire "clip" — and a chaotic scene with people taking cover and ducking. According to Lt. Paul McCaffrey, a fight broke out amongst several male suspects in front of the restaurant at around 11:50 p.m., and one suspect pulled out a handgun. “Moments later, several shots were fired,” McCaffrey said in a release. Police officers, who were out in full force due to the Fiesta holiday, responded immediately. "When we first arrived it was obviously chaotic," McCaffrey told a group of media gathered at Ortega and State Streets. "Every officer in De la Guerra Plaza was on the run," one witness said. Clubs, bars, restaurants, and all other businesses were almost immediately shut down, and patrons were forced to leave.
Site of shooting
Police had State Street blocked off at Cota and Ortega Streets and, as of 3 a.m., were still working at the scene. Some media was lingering, as well as a cab driver whose cab was locked behind the police line and could not be accessed.
Another cab driver, Brian Gray of Yellow Taxi, said his cab had been parked right outside the Habit, and the front tire on the passenger side of his car had been shot. "I saw a cop shooting," said Gray, who was inside his vehicle at the time. "I think he unloaded a clip.”
Witnesses report seeing an African-American man wearing a "do-rag" being "dragged" to a police vehicle, but there were no official reports of arrests being made. McCaffrey said there were quite a few witnesses taken to the police department and he was unsure if any of them will be taken into custody. "Literally hundreds of people heard the shots," he said.
Police Chief Cam Sanchez was spotted on the scene around 2:30 a.m., but refused to comment on the incident. McCaffrey was also was mum on the details. "When there’s an officer involved in the shooting it’s important to make sure I’m right the first time," he said. "It’s important to be factual." He said any information he releases to the public has to first be run by the higher-ups in the department.
The forensic unit was on the scene taking photographs and investigating. A flood light, which was sitting in the middle of State Street, as well as a fire truck's aerial ladder, were used to help officers light and photograph the scene. Evidence near the body, which was covered with a white tarp, appeared to be a weapon, and McCaffrey confirmed a gun had been recovered.
No information is available about the deceased man. There were no other injuries, and the incident is still under investigation. Police reopened the 600 block of State Street at around 9 a.m. Saturday morning, but because of the uncertainty regarding when the street would reopen, the route of the Children’s Parade — which was supposed to end at State and Ortega Streets — will now run along State Street from Victoria to Canon Perdido Street.
Double-clicking on any word or phrase in this story will open a reference window with definitions and links to other reference material.
Previous Month
Comments
Discussion Guidelines
Im sure no police officer wants to shoot or kill another person but it is a responsibility they have. To protect and serve an officer may have to use deadly force and they should not hesitate when the time comes. Although I feel for the officer who shot and killed the suspect on State St. I commend that officer for doing what he/she had to do. Also with the amount of people out for Fiesta I am greatful that no innocent bystanders where injured. Without knowing the details it is hard to make a specific comment but I would imagine that the officer was well trained and hit the target. Bless all the police officers who protect our society.
supersixone (anonymous profile)
August 4, 2007 at 2:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It would be better if the closed off a 2 X 2 block area and and did just what David E mentioned. Thats what they had to do at the Citrus Festival to our South East in the Citrus Capital of the world Santa Paula Ca.
They had a problem much worse than S.B. or Oxnard(habbitually Dangerous for Santa Barbarans), they had major gang brawls that would turn into ugly riots. Now that it's held behind fencing and there is a large Police presence at its core, nothing happens there. And no News is good news right?
Although who is going to pay for all this fencing and metal detector gear, it's over for Fiesta after 7PM - the way it was is forever a memory.
SantaBrutal (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2007 at 3:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They should charge any of the gun wielding cohorts with intent to murder - conspiracy and whatever else they can get on em.
SantaBrutal (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2007 at 3:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank God Fiestas is just about over and all the tourists and visitors from OXNARD can go back home - minus a few fools that must sit in jail till they do their time.
Forget the clubs getting more money during Fiesta the clubs should pay for the beefed-up security that will be needed in the future to put up a fence, have Metal detectors and extra security guards, etc.
Why does the city cater so much to the night life here in Santa Barbara. The clubs make all this money, and for what, nothing good or purposeful does it serve. The same lame local acts, and the regulars who stooper home driving drunk or support the local cabs who sometimes themselves get DUI's.
The downtown scene is a circle of greed that really serves no good purpose. Why do we as local spend so much money on stoopid tiles for this area? About every eight years!!!
SantaBrutal (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2007 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah Marty, why do we spend so much on tiles that move and trip people?
SantaBrutal (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2007 at 3:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In response to Kcox920 - real bullets flying from anyones gun, including our obviously well trained PD officers have about a 30 percent chance of missing and killing innocent bystanders or damaging equipment - In this case shooting a cabdrivers tire.
There are new weapons that would have taken this jackass down quicly and effectively without risking the life and equipment of others. I'm looking at the future, some people just want the same old solution - kill kill kill.
I guess it's one less person in Jail or prison which in a way may be better. The risks are high out there on Downtowns wild side!
SantaBrutal (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2007 at 4:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
And ohh yeah - Hardliner for life!!!
SantaBrutal (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2007 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Life!
SantaBrutal (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2007 at 4:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Also why did the Santa Barbara News Supress not cover the story in Saturdays paper? Funny how they were not able to include it, even on the website they had nothing much to say about the shooting - pretty effective at supressing the shooting.
SantaBrutal (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2007 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Was there a verbal warning? "Drop the weapon or DIE!!!"
Jhern (anonymous profile)
August 12, 2007 at 6:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To start , I am not here to show how well I can spell or how well I can write, i am simply here to post a comment. With that said, Wil was my friend I met Wil when I was 15, I remember him liking me and picking woodchips out of my hair when I had fell in the playground, I knew Wil as a guy who had his friends back, he was cool. I know that I saw Wil at a 4th of July picnic and he was happy, I wasnt at the shooting so I cant speak on what happened, but I was however at the funeral, I saw a man , the same age as me laying in a coffin who shouldnt have been. I saw his family weeping and sharing stories of the wil they knew, lets not forget that a life was lost .I want justice to be served, my daughter lost a cousin, and i lost a friend.I would also like to know if wil was ever told to drop his weapon. I studied criminal justice for a year, i thought that was proper procedure to ask first before shooting.
wilsfriend (anonymous profile)
August 16, 2007 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Post a comment