Police release video of moments before California officer fatally shoots man

Madera police released video Wednesday related to a confrontation in which an officer killed a man with a gun, but left out the actual shooting.

Lt. Josiah Arnold previously said the incident took place about 8:30 p.m. Saturday near Ellis and Merced streets after officers were dispatched to check a report of a man with a gun who was “acting erratically.”

Police in an update Wednesday said a caller reported a man outside of a store who was manipulating the slide of a handgun.

The video from a police cruiser’s dashboard camera shows a man, identified Wednesday by police as 29-year-old Jose Soliz, walking on a sidewalk along a fence.

The cruiser’s light shines on the man as he turns to look back at the car, and he drops a bag a couple of times before police say he pointed a gun at officers and stepped toward them.

Madera police made the unusual decision to release video they described as a “critical incident” without actually including the shooting. The video also does not include sound so it’s unclear what the officers are saying.

“The video stops moments before the shots are fired, out of respect for the family,” the Madera police post on Facebook said.

Fresno police and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office have released multiple critical incident videos in the past year that include the shootings. Those with body-worn cameras also had audio.

Madera police said Wednesday they recovered a “Glock 19 style firearm” from Soliz after he was shot once. An unnamed officer fired three rounds at Soliz; he was struck once and died, police said.

Officers involved were placed on administrative leave and the investigation was turned over to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, police said.

Chief Dino Lawson released a statement along with the video.

“Police Officers face dangerous situations on a daily basis. The actions of Mr. Soliz could have led to serious injury or death to the officers or members of the public,” the statement said. “We are fortunate this did not occur. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Soliz family during this difficult time. We will continue to serve and protect the citizens of Madera.”