Police shoot, kill suspect after wild chase from Dinuba to Reedley and then south again
Police officers shot and killed a suspect after a wild chase south of Reedley into Tulare County on Sunday evening, Reedley Police Chief Joe Garza said at a late-night news conference.
The incident started about 6:15 p.m. when Dinuba Police contacted Reedley Police to say a burglary suspect was fleeing toward Reedley on a motorcycle.
The suspect crashed at a roundabout at Dinuba and Buttonwillow avenues in Reedley where Reedley officers got reports of the suspect trying to break into cars. He got into a vehicle and fled east on Dinuba Avenue.
At an 11 p.m. news conference, Garza said Reedley officers chased the suspect south out of the city into Tulare County where they made a traffic stop near Englehart and Floral avenues. The suspect ran from his vehicle.
Officers shot the suspect with a Taser to no effect.
The suspect then began shooting at police, and officers returned fire. The suspect was able to get into the front seat of a Reedley police vehicle. Officers reported that the suspect appeared unresponsive and discovered he had been shot during the gun battle.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, Garza said. The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting.
Garza said it was the second recent officer-involved shooting by his department. It was the third in four days by Fresno County law enforcement.
