Mesa man shot in the head by deputy dies
by Nathan Gonzalez - Jan. 17, 2011 06:20 PM
The Arizona Republic
An East Valley man who was shot in the head by a Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy last week after pointing an assault rifle at a the deputy died Monday from his injuries, officials said.
Felipe Ramirez Castellanos, 43, who sheriff's officials said was an illegal immigrant, was shot once in the in the head and once in the hip after he pointed an AK-47 assault rifle at a deputy responding to a domestic violence incident Friday, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said.
"I praise my deputy for taking proper, professional action," Arpaio said.
The 26-year-old deputy, whose name was not released, has been with MCSO five years, Arpaio said. He was placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues.
Sheriff's deputies were called about 10:30 p.m. Friday, after several gunshots were fired outside a home in the 9100 block of East Crescent Avenue, southwest of Broadway and Ellsworth roads, in an unincorporated area of east Mesa.
Investigators learned Castellanos had been in an argument with his wife and fled the home while firing several shots from a .9mm handgun into the air, the sheriff's office said. He returned several minutes later to retrieve an AK-47 and several rounds of ammunition.
Castellanos was inside a vehicle and leaving the home when deputies arrived. When deputies searched the car, they found Castellanos with the assault rifle, a handgun and 120 rounds of ammunition, the sheriff said.
While sitting inside the vehicle, Castellanos pointed the rifle at two deputies and one of the deputies opened fire, he added.
He died Monday at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix.
Arpaio said Castellanos served 90 days in jail for a human-smuggling charge in 1986. He legally returned to the United States under a worker's Visa in 1997, but apparently overstayed that Visa.
Castellanos was stopped for a traffic violation April 3, and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Additional details were not immediately available.
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