Helendale Woman Dead After Victorville Deputy-Involved Shooting

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HELENDALE – A Helendale woman was shot dead by a Victorville Station deputy after making death threats, assaulting a man inside the business, and driving a vehicle toward a deputy on Tuesday.

On October 2, 2018, shortly before 12:30 p.m. a woman, later identified as Lajuana Phillips, 36, went into the business located in the 14000 block of 7th Street in the City of Victorville. According to authorities, she was upset about the working condition of a vehicle that she had previously purchased from the company. Witnesses reported that she threatened the lives of employees at the business and subsequently punched a male subject in the face. The wife of the man who was assaulted called 911 to report the incident while Phillips remained at the scene.

While on the phone with dispatchers, the reporting party told them that Phillips approached another subject and began fighting. Deputies arrived and made contact with Phillips, who he learned through a record check that she had a misdemeanor arrest warrant out of West Covina for driving with a suspended license. The deputy informed Phillips of the warrant, causing her to become uncooperative. She got into her vehicle, and the deputy ordered her several times to exit her vehicle. She ignored the commands to exit her vehicle, leading the deputy to deploy pepper spray into her vehicle. Phillips then attempted to drive toward the deputy and the deputy in fear for the safety of himself and others in the area, fired his service weapon toward Phillips.

Emergency medical personnel responded and determined that Phillips had died as a result of one or more gunshot wounds. Homicide investigators responded to the scene to assume the investigation. The involved deputy was not injured as a result of the incident. The victim assaulted by the suspect declined medical attention. No further information is available for release at this time.