Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, you are not alone — and help is always available. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with a trained counselor, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. Whether you’re seeking support for yourself or someone you care about, please know that it’s never too late to reach out. You deserve help. You deserve hope. Someone is ready to listen.
FRESNO, Calif. — A man who died after seizing a Fresno police officer’s firearm and shooting himself has been identified as a former Madera County Sheriff’s deputy, KFSN reported.
Fresno police confirmed that the 32-year-old man was under investigation for retail theft and impersonating a law enforcement officer.
Authorities say the man voluntarily came to the Fresno Police Department’s northwest station on Oct. 20 after being asked to meet with detectives. When officers attempted to arrest him, he reportedly resisted and attempted to access a firearm. Officers deployed a TASER multiple times before successfully restraining him.
The man was then transported to a hospital for evaluation. While there, during a supervised bathroom break, police say he attacked an officer, managed to grab the officer’s pistol, and then fatally shot himself.
Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto said the sequence of events remains under review. Officials did not disclose when the man served with the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.
