CLEARLAKE OAKS — Law enforcement officials have released the name of a local man killed Saturday night after he was shot by a sheriff’s deputy near Dollar General in Clearlake Oaks.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office on Monday identified the deceased as Craig Ellis See, 34, of Lower Lake. The department said it had waited to release See’s name until his family was notified.
See died after an altercation with deputy Wesley Besgrove that began around 9:50 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Clearlake Oaks Dollar General, and ended in a nearby creek bed. According to the sheriff’s office, See was armed with a knife and inflicted “minor injuries” on Besgrove before being shot by the deputy.
See was given medical aid, the sheriff’s office said, but died on scene from his injuries. An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday.
See had “minimal contact” with the sheriff’s department in the past, including for theft and trespassing issues, the department said, noting that earlier this month, See was identified as a suspect in an assault with a firearm case.
Besgrove, who was placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting, suffered several injuries including a fractured leg, a head contusion and bite marks, the sheriff’s office said. He was treated at Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital in Clearlake and subsequently released.
No other deputies were present during the incident, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office has declined to release information on events leading up to the altercation, the number of shots fired, or what part of See’s body was shot, citing an ongoing investigation by the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Susan Krones said Monday that three investigators including Bruce Smith and Denise Hinchcliff have been assigned to the case, and spoke with Besgrove Monday morning. The prosecutors, including Krones herself, investigated the scene of the shooting on Saturday night, Krones said.
Krones declined to release details of the incident, including the reason for Besgrove’s initial contact with See, adding that more will be disclosed pending her office’s investigation.
Besgrove, who has retained a lawyer, made a statement to the prosecutors which Krones noted “appears consistent with the scene,” but Krones’ office will not make a determination about the incident and Besgrove’s conduct until after further review.
Sheriff Martin confirmed that Besgrove was wearing a body camera during the incident, and that video footage from the incident will be reviewed and released when possible. Martin noted he hopes to release this footage and other relevant evidence in a narrated video as soon as this week.
The sheriff’s office issued an initial statement on the shooting Sunday morning, noting that the district attorney had been contacted and a “critical incident protocol” had been initiated. The department identified Besgrove as the officer involved later that day.
Besgrove was hired by the sheriff’s office in November 2015 as a correctional officer. He was deputized and placed on patrol in December 2018, said Martin. Besgrove’s father, Bob Besgrove, was a Clearlake Police Department officer who later worked in Marin County.
