Suspect shot, killed by police at potential burglary scene at historic downtown Fresno home

Fresno police officers shot and killed a man on the lawn of the historic Meux Home Museum on Thursday afternoon.

During a news conference outside the home at Tulare and R street, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said curators called to report a possible burglary when they returned to the museum just after noon. A caller said the individual was pacing around outside the location holding a six-inch knife.

Officers arrived and found a man at the building.

“We had two police officers arrive who did witness the fact there was an individual inside the museum when they were not supposed to,” he said.

The home is closed for the season and had been locked and secured. There were multiple broken windows and the front door appeared to be pried open, Balderrama said.

Balderrama did not identify the suspect, but said he was in his late 20s to 30s; he was “frantic and yelling at officers.”

He also was not complying with orders, Balderrama said.

“He was screaming profanities. At one point one of the officers attempted to use a taser to subdue him.”

It worked temporarily, but the suspect pulled the prongs out. He then pulled out a hammer, raised it over his head and came rushing toward the officers in a sprint-type fashion, Balderrama said.

The officers shot and killed the man.

Fewer than five rounds were fired, Balderrama said.

The two officers involved were not identified. Balderrama said they had more than 10 years each with the department. Both are on administrative leave.

The man was the only suspect in the incident, Balderrama said, though original reports were that a suspect could still have been inside the home. Police used a helicopter and megaphone to call for anyone inside the building to come out and a SWAT team was called to clear the house.

This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 1:19 PM.