Man Dies in Officer Involved Shooting

At 2:00 p.m. today, Rancho Cordova police officers responded to the area of Folsom Boulevard and Dawes Way, regarding a call of a man armed with weapons riding a bicycle. The caller stated that the bicyclist had a bayonet, and also pulled a handgun from his pocket while riding his bicycle down the roadway.

Approximately ten minutes later, officers arrived in the area and began to search for the suspect. Two Rancho Cordova police officers observed a man matching the suspect’s description, in the parking lot behind Diamond Billiards in the 10300 block of Folsom Boulevard. The suspect was riding his bicycle eastbound through the lot, and officers could see a machete mounted on his back along with a backpack.

Officers approached the suspect in their vehicles from behind, and ordered him several times to stop and get on the ground. Upon hearing these commands, the suspect jumped off of the bicycle, throwing it to the ground. He then turned swiftly in the direction of the two officers directly behind him.

Based on the information that the suspect was in possession of a handgun, his repeated failure to obey officers’ commands, and the fact that the suspect turned aggressively toward them, officers believed they were in imminent risk of danger to themselves. One of the officers fired his duty weapon three times, striking the suspect in the upper body and one of his extremities.

The suspect fell to the ground, at which time officers saw a handgun fall next to the suspect’s side. Officers then moved toward the suspect, safeguarded the handgun, which was discovered to be a replica firearm, and began to render first aid to the suspect. Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter, and transported the suspect to a local hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

Members of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau and Professional Standards Division will be conducting the investigation into this incident, which is standard practice for any officer-involved shooting with department personnel that occurs within the Sheriff’s Department’s jurisdiction.

In accordance with the Sheriff’s Department’s policies and procedures, the officer involved in this shooting will be placed on paid administrative leaving pending the outcome of the investigation. The officer involved is assigned to the contract City of Rancho Cordova in the patrol division, and has eleven years of service with the Sheriff’s Department and Rancho Cordova Police Department.

The identity of the victim in this case will be released by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office after notification has been made to his next of kin.