Lake Forest, Calif. (Aug. 9, 2025): On Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, a deputy-involved shooting occurred in a commercial parking lot in Lake Forest.
On Thursday, August 7, 2025, deputies were notified of an incident involving the suspect, Ethan Chase Mull, 34, who was involved in a domestic violence incident. The incident was a domestic incident between Mull and a family member that occurred the prior day, August 6. Deputies also found that Mull had felony warrants for his arrest. These warrants included charges for theft, weapons, and narcotics-related offenses.
At around 3 p.m., deputies located the suspect at a retail store in the area of El Toro Road and Trabuco Road in Lake Forest. When Mull exited the store, deputies attempted to detain him. Mull pointed a loaded handgun at deputies, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred involving one deputy.
Mull was struck and provided medical aid at the scene. He was transported to a local area hospital by the Orange County Fire Authority.
During the incident, a deputy was bitten by a police K9. The deputy received treatment and was released from the hospital. No other deputies were injured.
Per protocol, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office will handle the investigation of the deputy-involved shooting. Relevant audio and video from the incident will be released in accordance with the law and in consultation with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
