The San Jose Mercury News
SALINAS, Calif. — A 21-year-old man was fatally shot by a Salinas police officer Sunday morning when he attempted to pull a loaded AK-47 rifle from his pants, according to the Police Department.
The officer was called around 11:20 a.m. to a strip mall at East Boronda and Natividad roads on reports of a man hiding in the bushes across from Wells Fargo ATMs, police said.
The responding officer turned his vehicle west onto Arcadia Way from Natividad Road and located the suspect, who was standing on the sidewalk, based on a witness description, police said.
The officer exited his vehicle and told the suspect to sit on the sidewalk, but the suspect instead began to pull a rifle out of his pants, according to police.
The suspect continued to draw the rifle despite orders to drop his weapon, and the office shot the suspect several times. Police said the suspect’s weapon appeared to be a loaded AK-47 rifle.
The officer and another arriving officer began CPR after the suspect was shot, but the man later died at a hospital.
He has been identified as Castroville resident Philip Michael Dorado, police said.
Witnesses who have not been contacted by investigators are asked to call police at (831) 758-7250. Copyright 2008 by Bay City News, Inc. republication, re-transmission or reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
Copyright 2008 The San Jose Mercury News