Full Notification

March 13, 2026, Highway 178 Onyx, CA- Critical Incident Release

On March 13, 2026, at approximately 6:00 p.m. Kern County Sheriff’s Office received a report of domestic violence in the 16000 block of Highway 178 in Weldon, CA.  
 
After the suspect fled the scene, Kern Valley deputies believed the suspect was headed east and requested Ridgecrest deputies to wait by Highway 178 and Highway 14. Deputies located the suspect parked in a dirt lot and attempted to detain him and he fled westbound on Highway 178.
 
A pursuit ensued. CHP responded and took lead of the pursuit, during which the suspect, 30-year-old Micheal Kemmeter collided into another vehicle on Highway 178 west of Doyle Ranch Road in Onyx, CA. Following the collision, Kemmeter barricaded himself inside his disabled vehicle.

Deputies gave multiple warnings and commands to exit the vehicle, giving Kemmeter opportunities to surrender. After Kemmeter pointed a gun at deputies, an officer involved shooting occurred. Neither Kemmeter or the deputies and officers sustained any injuries from the officer involved shooting.

Following the officer involved shooting, deputies continued efforts to safely resolve the situation using verbal commands and phone negotiations.

Kemmeter ultimately exited the vehicle and surrendered. He was arrested for corporal injury of spouse, obstruct/resist an officer with force, hit and run resulting in property damage, and evading by driving the wrong way.
 
Detectives responded to the scene to assume the investigation.
Deputies Justin Guzman, Austin McCullough, Dylan Chumley and Sergeant Ryan Pollack were placed on routine critical incident leave pending the completion of the investigation.

Kern County Sheriff's Office detectives investigate any use of deadly force by any member of the department. Investigations are submitted to the Kern County District Attorney's Office for criminal review.
PC 834a: If ana person has knowledge, or by the exercise of reasonable care, should have knowledge, that they are being arrested by a peace officer, it is their duty to refrain from using force or any weapon to resist such arrest.  

PC 835a states in part: A peace officer is justified in using deadly force upon another person only when the officer reasonable believes, based on the totality of the circumstances, that such force is necessary to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. The decision to use force shall be evaluated from the perspective of a reasonable officer in the same situation, based on the totality of the circumstances known to or perceived by the officer at the time, rather than with the benefit of hindsight, and that the totality of the circumstances shall account for occasions when officers may be forced to make quick judgments about using force.  

On April 13, 2026, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office convened an Incident Review Board examining the use of force in this incident. The use of force was determined to be within policy.  

Anyone with additional information regarding this case is asked to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s Office at (661)861-3110 or Kern Secret Witness at (661)322-4040.
Video link: https://youtu.be/7bxuNNHaERc