Santa Barbara sheriff’s deputies who shot, wounded man were legally justified, DA says

Two Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputies who shot and wounded a man in Vandenberg Village in February were legally justified in their use of force, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley determined in a report on the incident released Wednesday.

The man, 25-year-old Rudy Angel Delgadillo, was struck by a single gunshot as he faced off with deputies Ross VanTassel and Yeshella Jimenez near Providence Landing Park shortly before 2 p.m. on Feb. 23.

“Deputies VanTassel and Jimenez reasonably believed Delgadillo posed an imminent threat and intended to cause them serious bodily injury or death,” according to Dudley’s report. “Delgadillo, in response to numerous commands to show his hands and to get on his knees, instead lifted his jacket, reached into his waistband and lifted his arm while in a shooting stance.

“Any reasonable law enforcement officer would perceive these actions as an immediate and lethal threat posed by Delgadillo.”

The deputies fired a total of 11 shots — 10 by VanTassel and one by Jimenez, according to the Sheriff’s Office. It is not known which deputy wounded Delgadillo.

“No weapon associated with the suspect was found at the scene,” sheriff’s Public Information Officer Raquel Zick previously told Noozhawk.

The incident occurred after a hit-and-run crash on the 4000 block of Stardust Road, near the west side of the park, and multiple calls to 9-1-1 dispatchers about a reckless driver in a dark-colored Toyota Tundra pickup.

Numerous deputies converged on the area near the park, at 699 Mercury Ave., and located the Tundra on the 3800 block of Celestial Way, south of the park, after it had crashed into a fence and the driver fled on foot.

VanTassel was the first deputy to confront Delgadillo, near the neighborhood clubhouse, according to the DA’s report, with Jimenez arriving moments later.

While holding him at gunpoint, VanTassel gave Delgadillo eight to 10 orders to get down on his knees, and warned him that deputies were bringing in a police canine that would bite him if he did not comply, according to the report.

“Deputy VanTassel said that despite these efforts, he could not de-escalate the situation because Delgadillo would not interact with him,” according to the report. “Delgadillo was not saying anything or complying with the commands.”

Delgadillo was about 90 feet away when VanTassel shot at him, according to the report.

After the shooting, deputies attempted to get Delgadillo to roll onto his stomach in order to secure him with handcuffs, but he did not initially comply, according to the report.

After taking Delgadillo into custody, the deputies provided medical aid until paramedics arrived.

Delgadillo was taken to the hospital, where he “remained uncooperative and incoherent,” according to the report.

The next day, Delgadillo was interviewed by investigators at the hospital, according to the report, and told them that “he had been having some personal problems, and that he just wanted to tell them that he had been having some personal problems.”

Delgadillo, who later tested positive for amphetamines, suffered a single bullet wound to the shoulder, and was released from the hospital after two days, according to the report.

Both deputies were placed on administrative leave after the shooting — standard practice in such situations — and subsequently were returned to duty.

Delgadillo was never charged in connection with the incident in which he was shot, according to Kelly Duncan, chief deputy district attorney.

Delgadillo was being held Thursday at Santa Barbara County’s Northern Branch Jail in lieu of $42,500 bail.

According to jail records, Delgadillo was in custody on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer or firefighter, but that appeared to be from an unrelated case.