Deputies kill man in standoff. He fired at Fresno patrol car, tried to blow up propane tank

A man was shot to death by deputies Tuesday following a standoff just outside Fresno, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said.

The shooting happened about 5:20 a.m. in the area of Belmont and Wintergreen avenues across from Belmont Country Club, according to deputies.

The man fired at deputies and hit a patrol car with a deputy seated inside it after 2 a.m before the standoff, spokesperson Tony Botti said. No deputies were injured.

Deputies initially went out to the home after reports of shots fired, according to the sheriff’s office.

A deputy arrived to find the man in the street in the dark, and saw what was believed to be a muzzle flash, heard a gunshot and saw smoke coming from the engine of his cruiser, according to Assistant Sheriff John Zanoni.

The single round went into the sheriff cruiser, disabling it, Zanoni said.

While the man was on the property, he used a tool, possibly a grinder, to pierce a 5-gallon propane tank, which exploded, Zanoni said.

He also attempted to do the same on a 500-gallon tank though it did not explode, Zanoni said. The smell of the gas was evident throughout the rural property.

“It was a very, very dangerous situation because the smallest spark could ignite the propane or natural gas that was leaking, he said. “So we had multiple hazards here.”

A family member who learned of the disturbance called 911 and reported two other family members were in the house.

The house sits on about an acre and has trees, brush and other buildings, Zanoni said.

At one point the man left the house and was somewhere else on the property, Zanoni said, so deputies moved in to take the home and rescue the two family members inside.

The sheriff’s office air support unit, SWAT team and crisis negotiation team responded to surround the home and called out to the suspect, he said.

The team attempted to negotiate with the man, who began advancing on the home, Zanoni said. A bean bag gun was used by deputies in an attempt to subdue the man but it was ineffective.

Deputies shot the man, who died at the scene, Zanoni said. Six deputies were involved, but it’s not clear how many rounds were fired.

Zanoni said the man was known to deputies but could not immediately say if the home or the man were connected to previous 911 calls.

Deputies found several loaded guns in the home and the man had been seen holding guns through the standoff. Zanoni could not immediately say if he had a gun in his hand when he was shot.

As a precaution to the possibility of leaking gas, nearby homes were evacuated.

Botti said it was the fourth shooting by deputy from the sheriff’s department in 2022.