Ventura police officer apparently kills himself while on duty

A four-year veteran of the Ventura Police Department apparently killed himself while on duty, police said.

The 27-year-old officer was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a yard behind a family member's house, the Ventura County Star reported Sunday.

He had been with the department for four years. Police did not identify the officer to the Star, or say if he used a police weapon in the shooting.

The Star reported the Ventura County Sheriff's Deparment will investigate the shooting as a courtesy to the police department and to avoid conflicts of interest.

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-- Rick Rojas