Oct. 26--The 46-year-old man shot this week in what police called an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers after a chase was in critical condition Tuesday at a Santa Barbara-area hospital.
Oxnard police declined to identify him or discuss his condition Tuesday, but one of his sons confirmed he is Augustine Medina.
Medina's son Timothy Medina said his family learned his father was in a coma after he apparently was shot in the head and his condition was critical.
A man in his 40s was shot by Oxnard officers and Ventura County sheriff's deputies Monday night during a gunbattle on Victoria Avenue near Port Hueneme's Marina Village, Oxnard police said. Authorities said he exchanged fire with sheriff's deputies during a car chase on Highway 33 and Highway 101 and shot at authorities in the 200 block of Roderick Avenue in Oxnard. The chase began after sheriff's deputies saw a car associated with a possible domestic violence incident in Oxnard.
No officers or deputies were injured in the incident. Two bystanders had minor injuries.
Augustine Medina is the father of five sons, a daughter and a stepdaughter, said Timothy Medina, 18, of El Rio.
"I cry and I cry still looking at his pictures. He was a good guy, you know. Sometimes he had his ups and downs, but he had a heart, a real big heart," the son said.
Timothy Medina said he didn't want to comment on police statements but that no matter what happened Monday, he wants his father and the world to know that the father is loved by his family members, who hope he pulls through.
"I just want to see him one more time," the son said. "That would be my biggest wish."
Augustine Medina's shooting was the third time in eight years for his family to be rocked by violence. His younger brother, Edward Medina, was killed by police, and one of his sons, Augustine Medina Jr., was slain, Timothy Medina said.
Edward Medina, 25, was shot and killed in a 2006 shoot-out with Oxnard police. Authorities said he jumped out of a vehicle and began firing during a traffic stop, seriously injuring two officers, one of whom returned fire and killed Medina. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office later found the officer was justified and acted in self-defense when he fatally shot the suspect.
Augustine Medina Jr. was one of two 19-year-olds killed by gunfire Sept. 7, 2003, at a party in Oxnard. The homicides occurred when uninvited guests entered the rear yard of a residence and started firing in a possible gang-related incident, authorities said. The crime is unsolved.
The incident that led to Monday's shooting began about 8 p.m. Monday at an apartment complex in the 200 block of Roderick Avenue in Oxnard.
Police responding to a domestic violence call found a woman who told them her boyfriend had hit her and then left, officials said. She gave police the man's name and a description of his car, said Oxnard police spokeswoman Monica Munoz. A gun was mentioned in connection with the incident, police said.
The woman, who is in her 30s, was not seriously injured or taken to a hospital, police said. Authorities did not identify her.
About an hour later, Ventura County sheriff's deputies spotted the suspect's vehicle on Highway 33 north of Ventura. Shots reportedly were fired from the vehicle when deputies tried to stop it, and deputies returned fire, Munoz said.
A gunman in the car allegedly fired again at deputies as they chased it on Highway 101 south near Seaward Avenue in Ventura. Authorities said the suspect returned to the apartment complex on Roderick Avenue, where he fired shots but officers did not fire back.
The chase ended when the vehicle ran into a center divider while going north on Victoria Avenue just south of Hemlock Street in Oxnard. Augustine Medina was shot during a gunbattle with Oxnard police and sheriff's deputies at that location, police said.
After he was shot, two women who are related to him were handcuffed and taken away from the scene for allegedly interfering with officers, police said. They were not arrested, and police did not release their names.
Two bystanders suffered minor injuries from flying glass, police said. One was taken to a hospital.
Police said the suspect was taken first to a local hospital, then to a hospital in the Santa Barbara area. Police said he had not been arrested but could face charges of domestic violence, failure to yield and attempted murder.
Victoria Avenue between Wooley Road and Channel Islands Boulevard was closed due to the investigation into the incident. Police announced shortly before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday that the roadway had reopened.
Five sheriff's deputies and four Oxnard police were involved in the shooting incidents, Munoz said. Police did not release the names of the officers involved but expect to do so this week, she added.
Citing the continuing investigation, she declined to discuss details such as exactly how the shooting occurred, what kind of gun was allegedly used and how many shots were fired.
Some people said they heard what sounded like dozens of shots at the scene of the final gunbattle.
"It was crazy last night. It was a war zone," said William Bucklin, 26, who lives near where the suspect was shot.
"It was a sea of bullets."
In addition to numerous gunshots, Bucklin said he heard what sounded like bullets ricocheting.
Another neighbor, Mark Carter, said he and his wife were watching "Dancing With the Stars" on Monday night when they heard at least a dozen gunshots. Not knowing where the bullets were coming from and concerned for wife's safety, he threw her to the ground to protect her and covered her with his body.
"I didn't want her to get hurt," he said.Carter and his wife, Karen Kee, just moved to the area from Camarillo a week ago, he said, adding that the incident made him wonder whether they made the right decision. He said he still thinks it's OK, however, because he's friendly with his neighbors and it's a nice area that's near the beach.
The Oxnard Police Department is leading the investigation. Sheriff's officials and Port Hueneme police are assisting.
Nearly two dozen police cars remained at the scene of the final shooting Tuesday afternoon while authorities continued to gather evidence.
Copyright 2011 - Ventura County Star, Calif.
