NAVAL BASE GUARDS SHOOT AT DEPUTY

A sheriff’s deputy suspected of being under the influence was arrested after allegedly trying to drive through the main gate of Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado Friday night, prompting base guards to shoot at his vehicle, officials said Saturday.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Cruz was off duty and didn’t have the proper clearance when he tried to get through the gate near Third Street and Alameda Boulevard about 10:30 p.m., officials said.

A Navy spokesperson said Cruz was being aggressive and wasn’t following the instructions of the gate guards. When Cruz attempted to drive into the base, several guards opened fire.

“He was being aggressive,” Naval Base Coronado spokesperson Kevin Dixon said. “The (military) security guards felt threatened by his actions.”

No one was injured in the shooting, authorities said.

Cruz was booked into jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, a sheriff’s official said. He was later released on his own recognizance pending future court dates.

Cruz was hired in 2006 and is assigned to the Sheriff’s Department’s emergency planning detail, sheriff’s officials said. He was placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is investigated.

The Coronado Police Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the incident, with cooperation from the Sheriff ’s Department.

“The Sheriff’s Department will not tolerate criminal behavior in its ranks and will hold employees accountable for their actions,” a sheriff ’s news release said.

The base was temporarily locked down following the incident, and the main gate was closed for several hours while authorities investigated.

Cruz is at least the fifth sheriff’s deputy to be arrested this year.

In January, Deputy Cory Richey was arrested after he allegedly stole prescription drugs from a drop box in a sheriff’s station on several occasions, officials said. He was suspended without pay, and has pleaded not guilty in San Diego Superior Court to burglary and drug possession charges

Three additional deputies were arrested in February. Deputy Allen Wereski, 48, was taken into custody Feb. 3 after authorities say they found cocaine in his car at a jail. The 48-year-old has pleaded not guilty in San Diego Superior Court to a charge of possessing drugs on jail property, and faces up to four years in custody if he’s convicted. Wereski was suspended without pay and is no longer with the department.

The next day, Deputies Shawn Kobs and Tara Heath were arrested after a fight in a Ramona bar. The two deputies were said to have taken part in the altercation and were arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, the department said.

An update on their cases was not immediately available.