California sheriff's deputy and father of 3 shot dead while responding to early morning call

A Northern California sheriff's deputy -- and husband and father of three -- was shot and killed at the scene of a call Wednesday morning.

El Dorado County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Ishmael was responding to a report of a theft from a marijuana garden at a private home when he immediately came under fire, El Dorado County Sheriff John D'Agostini said.

In Ishmael's patrol vehicle at the time was an off-duty San Joaquin County deputy who was there for a ride-along, the sheriff said. That deputy returned fired and "did his best to save Brian," D'Agostini said.

The off-duty deputy was shot and underwent surgery and has since been released, he said.

Two men were taken into custody after the shooting in Somerset, about 50 miles east of Sacramento. One of those men was shot and is in unknown condition, the sheriff said.

It is not clear if there are any outstanding suspects, the sheriff said.

The department is now mourning Ishmael, a four-year veteran with the sheriff's office who previously worked for the Placerville Police Department.

Ishmael was a "loving father and husband" who worked and lived in the community, said the sheriff, and was "easy to talk to, kind and always positive."

"We are proud to have had Brian work with us," Placerville police officials said in a statement. "He will be greatly missed. Our prayers go out to our law enforcement brothers and sisters at EDSO, and Deputy Ishmael's family and friends. God Speed Brian."