BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Just before 4 p.m. Friday night the Bakersfield Police Department responded to a 911 call of a subject armed with a handgun in the area of McKee Road and Maria Angelica St in Southwest Bakersfield.
Responding officers requested a mobile Mental Health Evaluation Team response due to the suspect saying suicidal statements.
While staging in the area, officers learned that the suspect was walking in the neighborhood while armed with a firearm. Officers made contact with the suspect and attempted to establish a dialogue. The suspect began to remove the firearm from his waistband and an officer deployed a less-lethal foam bullet. The less-lethal deployment had no effect and the suspect began to flee from officers while drawing the firearm. As he ran past one of the officers the suspect fired several times, striking the officer.
Pursuing officers returned fire and the suspect was struck. An additional officer was grazed by the suspect’s gunfire resulting in minor injury. The suspect’s firearm was recovered.
The suspect succumbed to his injuries at an area hospital and was pronounced deceased.
The officer is in stable condition in an area hospital. All of the involved officers were equipped with body-worn cameras. As the investigation progresses more information, including the body-worn camera footage will be released.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to call the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111.
#OfficerInvolvedShooting in the 8700 block of Maria Angelica Street in South Bakersfield. Please avoid the area. Updates will follow.
— Bakersfield Police (@bakersfieldpd) December 19, 2020
