District Attorney's Office Concludes Investigation Into Officer Involved Shooting

Goleta - May 15th, 2008

On March 6, 2008, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 4621 Via Gennita, Santa Barbara, on a report of a disturbance where a male subject was armed with a gun. As Deputies arrived they posted to the rear of the home and were confronted by 64 year old Donald George as he exited the residence onto the patio holding a handgun. Donald George refused to comply with the Deputies’ verbal commands advising him to drop the gun. Donald George turned toward one of the Deputies and pointed the gun directly at him. Three Deputies fired their weapons at Donald George in response to the presented threat. Donald George was pronounced dead a short time later.

On May 14, 2008, The Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office concluded their investigation into this incident, “Officer Involved Shooting – March 6, 2008.” Based upon the information known to the officers at the time of the shooting, follow-up investigation, and indications that Mr. George deliberately intended to commit “suicide by cop,” the District Attorney’s Office determined the shooting was justified homicide.

Under California law, a killing is justified in self defense or the defense of another person if the person causing the death reasonably believed that he or someone else was in imminent danger of being killed or suffering great bodily injury, and the individual reasonably believed that the immediate use of deadly force was necessary to defend against that danger.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department continues to extend its sympathy to the family of Donald George in the wake of this incident.

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