Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department revealed details about the fatal shooting on Tuesday.
Ron Ely's son was apparently unarmed when he was fatally shot by Sheriff's deputies earlier this month.
Authorities responded to the Tarzan actor's home on Oct. 15, where they found his wife, Valerie, dead with multiple stab wounds. While at the scene, deputies identified the suspect as the Elys’ son, 30-year-old Cameron Ely. According to a press release following the incident, Cameron "posed a threat" to responding officers, and he was shot dead on the scene.
According to a statement released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department to ET on Tuesday, Cameron told police he was armed. In response, four deputies drew their weapons and shot Cameron, firing a total of 24 times.
"The suspect told deputies that he had a gun, advanced towards the deputies, and motioned with his hands as if he were drawing a weapon," the Sheriff's Department stated. "In response, four deputies fired a total of 24 rounds from their service weapons, fatally wounding the suspect."
However, the statement went on to explain that "when deputies were able to safely [approach] Cameron using a ballistic shield, they found that he had feigned being armed and did not have a weapon."
The Sheriff's Department also released the names of the four deputies who shot Cameron. Three of the four have been law enforcement officers for over 12 years, while one has 2 years of service. The statement added, "None of the deputies were injured during the confrontation with the suspect."
The 81-year-old Tarzan actor was not injured during the altercation. Autopsies of both the victim and the suspect are pending. No motive for the murder has yet been released by authorities.
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