Bakersfield police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that happened Monday afternoon in downtown Bakersfield. The incident began around 3:15 p.m.

According to the Bakersfield Police Department, a man attempted to steal a piece of heavy equipment from a road construction site by driving off in it. The piece of equipment was described as a skip loader.

A witness told police that the suspect was having difficulty operating the machine and abandoned it before getting into an pick-up truck and circling the area several times.

Officers confronted the suspect while he was sitting in his truck, resulting in him being shot by police. The suspect was struck at least once, authorities said. He is listed in critical but stable condition in a local hospital.

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