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Police: Man Shot In Squad Car Said He Had Gun

ELK GROVE, Calif. (AP) -- Police in a Sacramento suburb say a handcuffed suspect shot in the back seat of a squad car had threatened officers and told them he was armed.

The Elk Grove Police Department issued a preliminary report Thursday on the Jan. 30 incident, in which 32-year-old John Hesselbein was grazed in the face by an officer's rifle shot.

Hesselbein was arrested after a dispute with his wife. The report says officers searched him and found no weapons, but once placed in the patrol car he began shouting that he had a gun and made quick movements as if to retrieve it.

The report says one of the officers believed Hesselbein was about to shoot and responded by firing his rifle. The officer is on leave during the investigation.

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