ANTIOCH — Citing a state law that applies to when police kill an unarmed person, the California Attorney General’s office has taken over the investigation of the SWAT standoff here that ended when several offers shot and killed a man who was suspected of firing a rifle at police and motorists.
Police have not identified the officers who shot and killed a 55-year-old man Friday evening, and the man’s identity hasn’t been released either. In a news release, authorities said the man allegedly fired a firearm “approximately 30 times” at officers and area residents during the hours-long standoff, and set fire to the home on the 3800 block of Dove Court where the standoff occurred.
But since no firearm has been discovered in the burnt remains of the home thus far, the AG’s office is taking over the investigation, according to multiple law enforcement services.
“Once the investigation has been completed, it will be turned over to the California Department of Justice’s Special Prosecutions Section within the Criminal Law Division for independent review,” a news release by the AG’s office says. The AG cited AB 1506, a new state law that allows the agency to take over investigations into police-related deaths of unarmed people.
It all started around 1 p.m. Friday, when police were called to the home for reports of gunshots. They say the man was donning armor and wearing camouflage, and walked down the street as he fired at random targets.
Police said the man had been firing a rifle at cars on the street and eventually shot down a police drone. He also set a house on fire before barricading himself inside with his rifle once authorities arrived. No one else was inside the house.
Multiple SWAT officers shot and killed the man at around 7 p.m. An Antioch police news release doesn’t identify which officers fired their duty weapons, nor does it say why they fired.
During the seven-hour standoff, the man rebuffed attempts to get him to surrender, according to a statement released by Antioch interim police Chief Anthony Morefield.
“Antioch Crisis Negotiation Team made numerous attempts to contact the suspect, to de-escalate the situation and negotiate a peaceful resolution. CNT members asked the subject to exit the house unarmed, so he could be taken into custody without being harmed,” Morefield said. “The subject refused to exit peacefully and disconnected with CNT several times and continued to fire rounds from inside the home.”
No officers or civilians were struck by gunfire during the incident.
