Officer Involved Shooting
On 05-20-14 at 12:14pm Officers responded to a 911 call from a resident living on Elkington Ave. regarding a man trying to break into a home and threatening to kill the victim. Initial information provided by the victim was a man armed with scissors had entered the victim's home and was making threats. It was also reported that the suspect tried to kill the victim's dog and had exposed his genitals in a sexually explicit manner and made sexually explicit and suggestive comments. Witnesses verified the victim's account of what had occurred. When Officers arrived on scene, they identified the suspect who was walking on Elkington Ave. As they tried to contact the suspect, they noted that he had a large pair of gardening shears protruding from his backpack. Despite numerous orders to stop and get down on the ground, the suspect failed to comply and continued to ignore simple commands. At one point one Officer tried to use his taser on the suspect but it was ineffective. The suspect continued to walk away. These actions were observed by and reported to investigators by independent witnesses. As the suspect continued to ignore the orders of the officers, the suspect retrieved the gardening shears from his backpack. In an aggressive fashion, the suspect swung the gardening shears at the officers who were standing in close proximity and in danger of being stabbed or slashed. In response to this threat, two officers fired their weapons at the suspect. Emergency medical services arrived shortly after the shooting and pronounced the suspect dead at the scene. The involved Officers have been placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation continues. The suspect's name is being withheld pending notification of family. The Salinas Police Department is well aware of the concerns raised by the community in regards to this and other officer-involved shootings. We take the investigation of any act causing loss of life to be one of our most important responsibilities. We ask the community to be patient and remain calm until enough facts are known so that a conclusion as to the appropriateness of the officers' actions can be determined. At this time evidence is being collected, video evidence is being evaluated, interviews are being conducted and a thorough investigation is underway. Further information will be provided to the public as the investigation proceeds. All media contacts should be directed to Commander Vincent Maiorana at 831-758-7350 Those who may have witnessed this incident, and who have not already spoken to police, are urged to contact Detective Currier or Detective Poulin of the Salinas Police Department Investigations Bureau at (831) 758-7125 or (831) 758-7270. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the Salinas Police Department Anonymous Tip Line at 831-775-4222 or the We-Tip-Line at 1-800-78-CRIME. |