A man suspected of operating an illegal marijuana grow was shot and killed during a multi-agency raid at a federal wildlife refuge near Sacramento on Wednesday morning.
According to KCRA.com, the Department of Justice was tipped off about a grow operation at Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and put together task force “to try and stop the grow before it could really get going.” The raid was reportedly conducted from multiple angles, and one of the teams confronted the alleged grower, who was armed.
The Sacramento Bee reported that the California Fish and Game officer who shot the man in the chest feared for his life when shots were fired.
“I do know that he presented a threat to the officer’s life,” Fish and Wildlife spokesman Capt. Patrick Foy told SacBee.com. “The officer is very experienced and has been in dangerous situations before. He is one of our more experienced officers related to marijuana cultivation and raids.”
Foy said that more than one shot was fired at the man. Other news outlets reported that the suspected cannabis grower never fired his weapon. The man was pronounced dead on the scene, and authorities reportedly found hundreds of marijuana pants in the wildlife preserve.
