Naval Base Coronado went into lockdown last night after a car tried to run the gate at the installation, prompting guards to open fire on the vehicle.
After 10 p.m. on Friday, March 17, a car tried to get through the main gate at Naval Air Station North Island, part of the wider Naval Base Coronado. The driver lacked clearance and did not stop or slow down, going through the gate. In response, base guards opened fire on the vehicle, forcing it to stop. The base went into lockdown, closing all of the gates as a result. Base guards took the suspect into custody and arrested by the Coronado Police Department. In addition to trying to breach the base, the driver was booked for driving under the influence
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Police identified the driver as Sgt. Michael Cruz, a deputy with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, who was off duty at the time.
A witness told local news station NBC 7 that they heard more than a dozen gunshots during the incident. Authorities have not yet confirmed how many rounds were fired. No one was hurt in the incident, according to police.
The Coronado Police Department and Naval Criminal Investigative Service are handling the investigation. The San Diego Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Cruz had been arrested, and was released pending a court date. He has been placed on administrative leave and the department is investigating his actions.
“The Sheriff’s Department will not tolerate criminal behavior in its ranks and will hold employees accountable for their actions,” it said in a statement on the matter.
As of this morning, some gates remain closed at the base. According to the Coronado Police Department, the First Street gate is open.
Friday’s incident was the second time a car tried to run the gates at a military base in Southern California this year. On the evening of Jan. 27, a car tried to breach the gate and “gain unauthorized access to the installation” at Marine Base Camp Pendleton further up the California coast. Guards deployed the final denial barrier, which the car crashed into, wrecking much of the front of the sedan. It burst into flames as a result. The driver was taken to a nearby hospital.
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