California security officer shoots armed burglar www.privateofficer.com

Bakersfiled CA Dec 1 2010 A Bakersfield man is hospitalized after an early morning attack on two armed security guards behind a central Bakersfield business.

Police say Sergio Morales Tafolla, 43, was shot twice by one of the guards after a struggle over the guard’s gun and the suspect’s knife.

Police say the guards from Kern Security Systems responded to an alarm at Kern Transmission on Brundage Lane at 3:00 a.m.

One guard spotted Tafolla trying to flee the property and chased him. Police say at that point Tafolla challenged the security officer. “He attacks him and they start wrestling over the security guard’s gun,” said Sgt. Mary DeGeare, Bakersfield Police Department.

“At one point, the suspect took his hand off the gun, pulled out a box cutter and held it to the security guard’s throat, at which point the security guard said I give up,” said DeGeare.

Eventually the security guard was able to fire two shots, hitting Tafolla in the leg and grazing his head. According to police, that’s when the second security guard arrived.

“The suspect takes him on and that security guard has to defend himself by hitting the suspect with a flashlight a couple of times,” said DeGeare.

The two guards were then able to wrestle Tafolla to the ground and hold him at gunpoint until police arrived.

Tafolla was taken to Kern Medical Center. Police said he would remain there overnight.

Kern Security would not comment on the incident, but said it is never their intention for their guards to have to use their weapons.

Tafolla has a criminal record and in 2007 was sentenced to a year in jail for auto theft.

Source:KGET.com