A dispute over loud truck noise in Rosamond, California, led to a deputy discharging his weapon after a man allegedly threatened him with a sword, according to footage released by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred on August 3.
Deputies were dispatched to Desert Oasis Mobile Estates around 5:30 p.m. following a report of a disturbance. Upon arrival, a deputy encountered Joshua Dribin, 22, who expressed frustration about a neighbor allegedly revving his truck while Dribin was trying to sleep. Dribin stated he had asked the neighbor to stop, but the noise persisted.
Body camera footage captured Dribin saying, “I’m going to make him where he can’t come near me.” When the deputy cautioned against such actions, Dribin responded, “I can too and you guys can’t stop me. I’ll be right back.”
Dribin then retreated into his residence, yelling that he was going to “take care of it.” Despite the deputy's attempts to de-escalate and promise to speak with the neighbor about the noise, Dribin became increasingly agitated, shouting, “I’m tired of him waking me up! I’m going to go kill him now! I’m done!”
The deputy radioed that Dribin was armed with a sword. Dribin then emerged from the house and charged at the deputy, yelling, “Hold that gun, bitch! Go ahead and shoot me!”
The deputy fired his weapon as Dribin advanced. Dribin sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at the scene by deputies before being transported to a hospital. No deputies or other civilians were injured during the confrontation.
Dribin was arrested and faces charges including assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, resisting a peace officer using force, and exhibiting a deadly weapon at a peace officer to resist arrest.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Division investigated the shooting. The department’s Incident Review Board subsequently determined that the deputy’s use of force was in accordance with department policy. The findings have been submitted to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office for review.