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A California sheriff's deputy was caught looking for love during an intense SWAT operation with an armed suspect.
A deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff's Office was captured by aerial footage by CBS Los Angeles allegedly scrolling on a dating app during a standoff on April 8 near the Jurupa Valley school.
The official can be seen wearing bulletproof armor while next to another deputy who was armed with a rifle during the three-hour standoff.
The footage sparked an internal investigation by the Sheriff's Office.
'The Riverside County Sheriff's Office is aware of the video circulating on social media showing a member of our Special Enforcement Bureau using his phone during the incident that occurred on April 8, 2026,' the Riverside County Sheriff's Office said in a statement to People.
'This behavior does not reflect the standards, expectations, or policies of our department,' the statement added.
The sheriff's office noted that they 'have initiated an internal investigation and will take appropriate action based on the findings.'
'The Sheriff's Office remains committed to professionalism and holding our employees accountable.'
A deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff's Office was captured by aerial footage by CBS Los Angeles allegedly scrolling on a dating app during a three-hour standoff with an armed suspect
The standoff occurred following a police chase of an alleged stolen car. The vehicle crashed after a failed attempt by officials to use a police grappler
In addition to an internal investigation, a debate online emerged over whether the officials' actions were extremely inappropriate or simply not that big of a deal.
One user wrote: 'The amount of excuses in this comment section is amazing. I'm not a first responder, but I am a mountain bike guide, and I'm responsible for keeping adults safe while I'm teaching or guiding them, and I guarantee you the last thing on my mind would be getting on my phone. Totally unprofessional.'
Another added: 'Should be dishonorably fired. No pension. No benefits. Thanks for wasting our tax dollars.'
However, the majority appeared to believe the officer did nothing wrong, considering that standoffs can last several hours.
One user said: 'Buddy is so calm in an armed standoff that he's trying to find true love. Leave a man alone.'
'There's a lot of downtime during staging. Give the man a break,' a second added.
The SWAT operation took place after officers were in pursuit of a suspect for grand theft.
According to the sheriff's department, the driver was seen in a stolen vehicle around 2pm, as NBC Los Angeles reported.
Users online appeared to defend the deputy online asserting that because standoffs take several hours it is simply not that big of a deal
As officials were in pursuit, the driver called 911, informing them that he was armed with a gun.
As officials closed in on the stolen car, they deployed a grappler police bumper, which did not work properly, causing the driver to smash into a wall.
A grappler police bumper is a device mounted on the front of a police vehicle with net-like webbing that entangles the rear wheels of a fleeing vehicle.
The driver remained in the car after the crash, prompting officials to call in a crisis negotiation team, according to the outlet.
After the driver stopped communicating, the deputies found them suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The unidentified suspect died at the scene.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office for comment.
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