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Roosevelt High shooting (warning: graphic content)

Did the Roosevelt High incident change your opinion about school safety?

	No, schools are safe
	25%
	No, concern is the same
	44%
	Yes, concern is increased
	23%
	Yes, need more officers
	7%

Press conference on Roosevelt High incident

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A Roosevelt High School sophomore who attacked an officer with a sawed-off bat wanted to die, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said Thursday.

"This was a case of suicide by cop," Dyer said.

Jesus "Jesse" Carrizales, 17, had been "lying in wait" for officer Junus Perry outside his campus office Wednesday and attacked him without provocation, Dyer said in a news conference.

After Perry shot Carrizales in the chest, Dyer said, the teen told Perry: "Go ahead and kill me."

But Carrizales' family Thursday said he was not suicidal and had been responding well to antidepressant medications that he began taking in January.

"My son was fine when he left for school in the morning," the teen's father, Margarito Carrizales, said in Spanish at the family's southeast Fresno home. "Hours later we are told he is dead. I don't understand."

A day after the shooting, psychologists were at Roosevelt to speak with students, and police provided extra patrols. Classes were held as usual, although absences were up.

"We are proud of how our students and staff handled the situation yesterday," said acting Superintendent Ruth Quinto, who is taking Superintendent Michael Hanson's place while he recovers from surgery. Quinto appeared by Dyer's side at a news conference at police headquarters.

Dyer gave new details of the attack and said Perry had a stun gun. But Dyer said Perry feared for his life and had no choice but to use deadly force.

The chief couldn't explain why the boy wanted to die.

Perry had been assigned to the Roosevelt campus for three years. He and Carrizales had not had a previous confrontation, Dyer said.

On Wednesday, Carrizales -- 220 pounds and 6 feet 2 inches tall -- snuck up behind Perry and struck him in the head with a sawed-off baseball bat, Dyer said.

As Perry lay on the pavement, according to Dyer, Carrizales told the officer: "What are you going to do now?"

Dazed and bloody, Perry scooted away on his elbows and knees. His radio had fallen to the ground, so he called out for help.

Perry pulled out his service gun from a hip holster, Dyer said, but the bullet clip fell out.

With Carrizales standing over Perry -- and poised to strike again -- the officer grabbed a pistol from his ankle holster, aimed it, and shot Carrizales once in the chest, Dyer said.

Carrizales fell backward. His last words were: "Go ahead and kill me." He repeated the phrase several times before dying at the scene.

While sitting in an ambulance, Perry told Dyer what happened.

"Chief, I had no other choice," Perry said before he went to Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno for stitches to close a 2-inch gash on the right side of his head.

Carrizales' body was left on the campus for several hours while detectives investigated. Officers found a 9-inch knife in his pants pocket, as well as a backpack that Dyer said the boy could have used to carry the weapon on campus.

Though Perry could have used his department-issued Taser to immobilize Carrizales, Dyer said officers are trained "to stop the threat."

Dyer credited "God's protective hand" -- and Perry's quick action -- with saving Perry's life. If Carrizales had won the battle, Dyer said, the teen could have taken Perry's two guns and caused "further tragedy."

Calling Perry a hero, Dyer said the officer also "will have to live with that pain [from killing someone] for the rest of his life."

Perry is on paid administrative leave while police investigate. At his home, Perry -- with the right side of his head still bandaged -- declined to comment, closing the door without saying a word.

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