CLEARLAKE ?Holding a large knife or machete in one hand, a Clearlake man attempted Wednesday to light flammable liquid in which a Clearlake police officer had fallen on the 16000 block of 33rd Avenue in Clearlake, police said.
Sean Pryor couldn”t light the liquid and moved toward the officer, who then shot him, according to a statement by Allan McClain, Clearlake chief of police.
Officers administered first aid to Pryor, 26, then an ambulance transported him to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake where a REACH air ambulance later took him to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, McClain said. As of Thursday, Pryor was in stable condition.
“He was alive and breathing when he left the scene,” McClain said.
McClain would not release the name of the officer involved, who is on paid administrative leave, McClain said.
Clearlake police responded to the house on 33rd Avenue for a report of a man inside breaking property and threatening to kill occupants, McClain said. Officers could hear Pryor breaking things and he would not come to the door. Police got a key from family members and entered through the front door.
Pryor had poured flammable liquid on the linoleum entryway, which caused the officer to slip and fall, McClain said. The officer was not injured.
Police will do an internal investigation to determine whether the officer followed training, McClain said.
“At this point, I believe our officers are trained well and they follow policy and procedures,” McClain said. “But I”m not going to make any determinations until the District Attorney finishes its criminal investigation.”
The Lake County District Attorney”s Office will do an independent criminal investigation, said District Attorney John Hopkins.
“So the district attorney will do the entire criminal investigation because you always have the potential, and it should be looked at to see if, a law enforcement officer committed a crime,” Hopkins said.
Four DA investigators interviewed citizens and police witnesses and used a warrant to search the residence. Two State Department of Justice criminalists helped with the evidence, Hopkins said.
“Our investigators did not make any conclusions,” Hopkins said Thursday. “It carried over to today.”
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
