By Khalida Sarwari
A man who was fatally shot by sheriff’s deputies Wednesday during a marijuana eradication operation in Santa Clara County was allegedly armed with a rifle, according to sheriff’s spokesman.
Deputies confronted the man, who the department still has not identified, at about 10:25 a.m. during a joint operation by the Alameda County and Santa Clara County sheriff’s offices in the hills near Mines Road, outside of Livermore, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Rick Sung.
During the confrontation, the man allegedly pointed his rifle at the deputies and ignored their orders to drop the weapon, Sung said.
He said three Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies responded by shooting the man. The impact caused the man to fall and momentarily drop his rifle, but he reached over and grabbed it again, Sung said.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. He has not been identified pending notification of his family, Sung said.
He said it was not immediately clear where the man lives or what he was doing on the farm.
The deputies involved in the shooting have been identified as eight-year veteran Devin Fontana and 11-year veterans Michael Damigo and Cregg Dibert. They were all placed on paid administrative leave.
About a dozen deputies were involved in the operation, Sung said.
The illegal marijuana farm consists of several gardens of various sizes, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities believe the farm has more than 20,000 plants with an estimated street value of $60 million to $80 million.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the circumstances of the shooting while the district attorney’s office runs a parallel investigation, Sung said.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office is also conducting an administrative investigation involving their deputies.