FRESNO – A 24-year-old man is in the hospital after he ran from officers, reached for a gun, and was then shot in the chin by a Fresno police officer.
The incident began as a domestic violence disturbance call. Police received several calls around 6:30 p.m. on Monday regarding a man and woman fighting at a mini-mart on the corner of Clinton and Marks avenues. Witnesses reported that they saw the man, who was dressed in red, get into a white compact vehicle, according to police.
Officers soon spotted the vehicle and began to follow it. When they attempted to pull the white sedan over on Princeton Avenue, two men inside the vehicle jumped out and ran away. The two officers inside the patrol vehicle chased after the man they believed to be the suspect in the domestic violence case and let the other man go, authorities said.
“The officers made the right choice to chase the suspect,” Police Chief Jerry Dyer said.
The suspect ran into an apartment complex and jumped a fence, causing a gun to fall to the ground, authorities said.
“When the suspect reached down to grab the gun as officers approached him, one officer fired one round,” Dyer said.
Dyer said that preliminary information shows that the suspect pointed the handgun, but the department is waiting to complete all the interviews before confirming that fact.
“But we know he was facing one of the officers with the handgun when the officer fired,” Dyer said.
The suspect tried to run away even after he was shot, but the officers were able to catch him and place him under arrest. He was transported to the hospital, where he is being treated for the gunshot wound.
The suspect, who is from the Chicago area and a self-admitted gang member, will likely be charged with assault with a deadly weapon and some gang enhancements for being armed with the firearm, Dyer said.
The officer who fired the shot is on paid administrative leave.
Read more:
ABC 30: Officer-involved shooting on Weber and Princeton in Fresno
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