Riverside County deputy dies after shooting in Lake Elsinore

Darnell Calhoun: The deputy killed in the line of duty was an expectant father

Riverside County Rep. Darnell Calhoun was a 30-year-old husband and expectant father.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. – A Riverside County deputy has died after being shot Friday.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call in the 18500 block of Hilldale Lane in Lake Elsinore. The deputy, later identified as 30-year-old Darnell Calhoun, was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

One person was taken into custody after the shooting, RSO said.

According to Sheriff Chad Bianco, Calhoun responded to a child custody call around 4:20 p.m. After Calhoun arrived on scene, an exchange of gunfire ensued, ultimately killing the deputy.

Sheriff: Darnell Calhoun was the best, healthiest man you could ever imagine

Sheriff Chad Bianco said slain Riverside County Deputy Darnell Calhoun was “the best, healthiest man you could ever imagine.”

Officials did not say what exactly led to the shooting.

Bianco said Calhoun joined the department in February 2022 after serving with the San Diego Police Department. Bianco said Calhoun was a man, a son and a soon-to-be father.

“There’s not one person with a negative to say about him,” Bianco said of Calhoun. “He was the best and healthiest man you could ever imagine.”

Darnell Calhoun, right, next to Sheriff Chad Bianco. PHOTO: Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

After news of Calhoun’s death broke, law enforcement departments in Southern California offered their condolences:

Los Angeles Police Department

Orange County Sheriff’s Office

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office

San Diego Police Department (formerly Calhoun’s Department)

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office

Late Friday evening, a procession was held to honor the deputy killed in the line of duty:

Darnell Calhoun: Procession underway for Riverside Co. MP. killed at Lake Elsinore

A procession is underway for Darnell Calhoun, the deputy shot and killed in the line of duty in Lake Elsinore.

This violent incident comes just weeks after another Riverside County deputy was shot and killed by a suspect in Jurupa Valley. On the afternoon of December 29, Deputy Isaiah Cordero was killed while attempting a traffic stop. The suspected shooter, 44-year-old William Shae McKay, was later killed after a chase.

RELATED: Remembering Isaiah Cordero: Slain MP laid to rest