Man With Paint Ball Gun Killed by Deputy After Chase

THOUSAND OAKS — A sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a man wielding a paint ball gun early Thursday after a car chase led to the dead end of a residential street, authorities said.

Derek B. Myers, 26, of Thousand Oaks was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds at Los Robles Regional Medical Center at 3:44 a.m., authorities said.

Authorities said Myers pointed the weapon, which resembles a shotgun, at the deputy before the shooting began.

Authorities offered the following account:

About 3 a.m., a deputy noticed Myers driving a beige sedan erratically on California 23. Myers got off the freeway and failed to pull over when a patrol car tried to stop him for a traffic violation.

The two- to three-minute chase came to a halt when Myers crashed into a brick wall at the southern end of Sheffield Place, a cul-de-sac north of the Ventura Freeway near Moorpark Road.

Myers got out of the car holding what appeared to be a shotgun and pointed it at the deputy, who was still in his patrol car, sheriff’s officials said. The deputy got out and immediately began firing.

Neighbors, startled awake by squealing tires, said they heard shouts of “Drop the gun!” Then several gunshots were heard.

The deputy continued firing when Myers refused to drop the gun, authorities said.

Investigators remained at the scene until early afternoon, closing the steep south end of the street to collect evidence. They did not release the name of the deputy who killed Myers. He has been placed on leave pending an internal investigation, which is standard in such cases.

Sheriff’s officials called the shooting self-defense.

“If he has anything in his hand, and it’s perceived as a threat to me, I’m going to respond with force,” sheriff’s spokesman Steven Bourke said.

Authorities described the weapon as a 23-inch black gun used in paint ball games that looks “remarkably like a pistol-gripped shotgun.”

The shooting startled residents on the shady stretch of pastel-colored homes, who said they couldn’t remember any violent crimes in the neighborhood.

“I was scared to death,” said Vicki Lee, 38. “I was scared it was maybe a machine gun, there were so many” gunshots.

Next door, Tracey Mackenzie watched police investigators search the scene. She moved to Thousand Oaks from Massachusetts a year ago, after her husband was transferred to Port Hueneme Navy Base.

“This is really scary,” said Mackenzie, 26. “It makes you wonder if Thousand Oaks is safe.”

Thursday’s incident was the second officer-involved shooting in Thousand Oaks this year.

In February, a sheriff’s deputy shot and critically wounded a 50-year-old man. Walter Francis Brazenor had allegedly menaced deputies with two long knives after they went to his house to answer a domestic violence call.

Brazenor died six weeks later, but because he was in poor health, authorities have not yet determined the cause of his death. The district attorney’s office is investigating that shooting, and an autopsy report is pending.

“It’s obviously very unusual for the city of Thousand Oaks,” said Kathy Kemp, commander of the city’s sheriff’s station. She said that prior to this year, the last instance of a fatal officer-involved shooting in Thousand Oaks took place at least 10 years ago.

Correspondent Jason Takenouchi contributed to this story.