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BWC: Man raises handgun, points it at Calif. officers before fatal OIS

Fresno police said the suspect ignored repeated commands to drop his handgun, told officers he did not want to return to jail and later fired two shots during the confrontation

FRESNO — The Fresno Police Department released body camera video showing an officer-involved shooting of a man who pointed a gun at officers.

The June 5 incident unfolded when a woman called 911 to report that her son was trespassing on her property and refusing to leave. The woman told dispatchers that she was not aware of the suspect being armed.

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Two officers arrived at the scene and spoke to the caller at the front door of the residence. She directed officers to the backyard where the suspect was located.

There officers saw that the man was holding a handgun, body camera footage shows. They instructed him to drop the weapon and raise his hands, but the man refused to comply.

During the incident, the suspect stated that he wanted officers to hurt him and that he did not want to go back to jail.

Officers spoke with the man held at gunpoint for seven minutes, pleading with him to drop the weapon. They then told him they were backing away in an attempt to deescalate the scene.

As the officers took steps backward, the man can be seen shifting the gun from one hand to the other before raising his empty hand and pointing it at the officers.

The officers continued to speak with the man for 15 minutes as more officers arrived on the scene. Body camera footage from an additional officer shows the moment the man raised the gun and pointed it at officers again.

That officer then fired a shot from a rifle. The man raised the gun toward officers again, prompting more shots from officers.

The man then fired two shots, though it is not known what direction his gun was pointing.

Once officers determined it was safe, they approached the man and began to render medical aid. EMS personnel also arrived at the scene and assumed medical care.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Joanna Putman is an Associate Editor and newswriter at Police1, where she has been covering law enforcement topics since August 2023. Based in Orlando, Florida, she holds a journalism degree from the University of Florida and spent two years working in nonprofit local newsrooms, gaining experience in community-focused reporting. Married to a law enforcement officer, she works hard to highlight the challenges and triumphs of those who serve and protect. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com