(UPDATE Sept. 30) The Kern County Sheriff's Office announced that a Critical Incident Review Board has deemed a deadly shooting involving a deputy in Mojave was within departmental policy.
The shooting took place on Sept. 3. The coroner's office identified the man killed in the shooting as 37-year-old Fernando Napoles of Lancaster.
According to KCSO, Deputy Christopher Saldana was responding to a call about walking with a gun on Highway 14 near Redrock Randsburg Road.
KCSO said Saldana pulled behind a vehicle at the scene. Napoles reportedly got out of the car and challenged Saldana to a fight. KCSO said Napoles pointed a gun at the deputy and that's when Saldana shot and killed him.
According to the review board, after reviewing all the facts involved in this case, the force used by Deputy Saldana in this incident was within departmental policy.
Deputy Saldana has been returned to duty following the findings of the Critical Incident Review Board.
On Sept. 18, Sheriff Donny Youngblood released dashcam footage of the Saldana's vehicle from that day. You can watch that video below:
