Sheriff says deputy seems justified in fatal Elverta shooting

The Sacramento County sheriff's deputy who shot and killed a 21-year-old man in Elverta early Tuesday was likely justified in his actions because the young man was carrying a pair of kitchen knives as he approached the deputy in a threatening manner, Sheriff John McGinness said.

While sheriff's detectives are in the early stages of their investigation, McGinness said the fact the deputy tried to subdue the man with his Taser before shooting him "shows a mindset in which he was not inclined to resort to deadly force prematurely."

McGinness added there is "ample evidence to support the theory (the deputy) used an appropriate escalation of force."

The deputy, whose name will be released later this week, was placed on paid administrative leave. He is a 25-year veteran of the department and has patrolled the Elverta area for two decades.

The deputy arrived at the home on the 8900 block of El Verano Avenue just after 12:30 a.m. Authorities had been called to the house by a woman saying her son was threatening to kill her with a knife, officials said.

When the deputy arrived, he heard yelling coming from the rear of the home, authorities said. As the officer walked alongside the home toward the sound of the screaming, he was confronted by a man carrying two knives.

The deputy ordered the man - identified by coroner's officials as Miles Salter - to drop the knives, authorities said. When Salter refused and moved toward the deputy "in a threatening manner," the deputy fired his Taser, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.

Salter continued at the deputy after being struck by the Taser, authorities said. The deputy fired one shot from his handgun, striking Salter in the upper body.

Salter was pronounced dead at an area hospital about 1:40 a.m. His family did not return a telephone message.

The shooting was the first by a sheriff's deputy this year that resulted in a fatality, sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said.

Deputies shot and killed four men in Sacramento last year. All were deemed justifiable and each of the involved officers is back at work, Curran said.

McGinness, who attended the department's training academy with the deputy, described the officer as "a bright guy, a real stable guy." He said he spoke with the deputy at the shooting scene and said the officer "was fairly calm."

McGinness said a vast majority of officers never fire their guns in the line of duty, let alone shoot and kill someone. For those who do fire their weapons and cause someone's death, "it's a hugely emotional experience."

"They strap their weapon to their body every day or night, so it becomes second nature to at least think about it," he said. "It represents a nightmare of sorts for law enforcement officers, but it's something that has to be done when nothing else can be done to alleviate the threat to themselves or others."

About the writer:

• The Bee's Ryan Lillis can be reached at (916) 321-1085 or rlillis@sacbee.com.