Fresno County deputy dies in accidental shooting near Fresno airport
A Fresno County sheriff's deputy died Monday after he was accidentally shot at a business park near the Fresno Yosemite International Airport in east-central Fresno, sheriff's spokesman Tony Botti said.
The deputy was on duty when the incident happened around 3:45 p.m. near the intersection of Clinton and Winery Avenues in Fresno.
The deputy was immediately rushed to Community Regional Medical Center, where he later died. The deputy was not identified.
@FresnoSheriff deputy accidentally shot, passes away. Detectives investigating how the gun that shot him was accidentally discharged. pic.twitter.com/tfnan93VbV
— Fresno Co Sheriff (@FresnoSheriff) November 1, 2016
A procession of law enforcement vehicles, with their emergency lights on, accompanied a white hearse from the hospital shortly after 8:30 p.m. The procession headed south on Highway 99 before pulling off at American Avenue to the Fresno County Coroner’s Office.
Clovis police posted condolences on the department’s Twitter account Monday night.
Our thoughts & prayers are with @FresnoSheriff as they mourn the death of their deputy. #ThinBlueLine #LODD #EOW #LESM
— Clovis Police (@ClovisPolice_CA) November 1, 2016
Detectives are investigating the incident to determine how the gun accidentally discharged.
Botti said Sheriff Margaret Mims would be holding a news conference Tuesday to provide more details about the deputy and the status of the investigation. No other details were immediately available.
The deputy is the first to die while on duty since Deputy Joel Wahlenmaier was killed during a shootout in Minkler in 2010.
This story was originally published October 31, 2016 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Fresno County deputy dies in accidental shooting near Fresno airport."