Man fatally shot by sheriff’s deputy Imperial Beach identified

A man who was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy near the Imperial Beach Pier last weekend has been identified as 51-year-old Gary Gates, investigators said Friday.

Gates was from Evansville, Ind., but had lived in the San Diego area for the past couple of years, officials said.

Deputy Maxwell Hammond shot Gates around 1:40 p.m. Sunday while the man was reportedly advancing toward Hammond and his fellow deputies with a knife in his hand at Evergreen Avenue and Seacoast Drive, San Diego police Lt. Lou Maggi said.

Hammond has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 3½ years, Maggi said.

The San Diego Police Department is handling the investigation under a countywide protocol designed to prevent departments from investigating shootings by their own officers or deputies.

The shooting occurred shortly after deputies and a sergeant made contact with Gates along the sidewalk of the Portwood Pier Plaza, just outside where dense crowds were gathered for the annual Christmas by the Sea Pow Wow.

Maggi said that in the moments leading up to the shooting, deputies were speaking with Gates when he abruptly stepped away from them and pulled the knife out. He then made statements “consistent with wanting to be shot by the deputies,” Maggi said.

At some point, the armed man began moving toward the law enforcement officers, and Hammond opened fire multiple times, striking Gates at least once, Maggi said.

Paramedics took Gates to a nearby hospital, where he died.

The shooting, which took place in front of the Imperial Beach sign that leads to the pier, was witnessed by multiple powwow attendees and beachgoers.

In a witness video posted to social media, bystanders in the crowd are heard immediately criticizing the deputy for opening fire near the crowded event area. “Why couldn’t they use a Taser?” one man asked rhetorically in the recording.

County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, who represents the area, said she was looking forward to getting more answers about the incident.

“This is a painful and frightening situation for our community, and my heart is with everyone grieving and affected by the traumatic event that happened in IB this weekend,” Aguirre said in a statement Monday.

“When a deputy uses a firearm, especially during a well-attended family-oriented event, people deserve transparency and accountability. That means a thorough investigation and sharing of information — including body-worn camera footage — as soon as the law allows, so we can all understand what happened.”

When the Police Department completes its investigation, it will be reviewed by the county District Attorney’s Office to determine if the deputy bears any criminal liability.

The Sheriff’s Office will conduct an administrative investigation into the detective’s discharge of his firearm. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will also monitor the investigations.