Bodycam: Armed Walmart Shoplifter Shot by Police in Store
In the city of Lake Forest, California, a community known as Foothill Ranch was the scene of a deputy-involved shooting incident, as revealed in a Critical Incident Video released by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. The incident took place on January 19, 2022.
Close to 10 p.m., deputies were alerted to a suspicious situation unfolding at the Walmart situated on Towne Centre Drive in Foothill Ranch. The Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) reports that deputies approached individuals suspected of fraudulent returns using counterfeit receipts. It was during this confrontation that they encountered Ernest Aguilar, a 30-year-old man.
Initially, the interaction with Aguilar was peaceful. However, the situation escalated when deputies noticed a knife while attempting to detain him. Aguilar resisted arrest, leading to a physical altercation involving three deputies and a civilian, who all tried to subdue him.
During the struggle, Aguilar produced a handgun. A civilian on the scene alerted the deputies to the fact that Aguilar was armed. In response, deputies fired their weapons, hitting Aguilar in the head.
Following the shooting, Aguilar was rushed to the hospital where he survived his injuries. He has since been transferred to jail and faces charges including three counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and possession of a firearm with a removed serial number. At the time of the incident, Aguilar also had outstanding warrants.
In a related development, the woman with the suspect in the video was apprehended a few miles away from the store sometime after the incident.
