Shooting in Fresno Police headquarters is fourth by a department officer in 2022
Fresno Police Department officers have been involved in five shooting incidents since late December — four in 2022 with the latest happening at the headquarters on Tuesday morning.
Here are the five most recent officer-involved shootings:
March 29: A man was shot and killed after police say he attacked a detective in his office at the Fresno Police Department Headquarters. During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Police Chief Paco Balderrama said it was not immediately clear how the man got past the locked gates and passcodes to enter the building, but that he wasn’t supposed to be there. The suspect entered the detective’s office and began striking him with an unknown weapon, hitting him on the head and cutting him on the head and neck. At some point during the incident, the officer fired at least one shot at the suspect, Balderrama said. The suspect died at the scene.
March 6: Two Fresno police officers “returned fire” following an hours-long confrontation with a man in an apartment near Fresno High. The incident started just after 2 a.m. when residents of a small apartment complex in the 500 block of East Weldon Avenue heard gunfire and discovered a bullet hole in the wall of a bedroom where two children, ages 2 and 4, were sleeping. Police identified 48-year-old neighbor Michael Zavala as the shooter. Officers escorted the family of four to safety and surrounded the apartment. Zavala allegedly fired a gun through a window and two officers returned fire. Zavala was taken to a hospital with a graze wound.
Jan. 13: Police responded to the scene after a man who works at the Meux Home, which is on Tulare and R streets, reported an apparent break-in. Two officers — a man and a woman — found 26-year-old Edgar Mendoza, who they ordered to get on the ground, video shows. A video from the female officer’s camera shows Mendoza throw a punch at the male officer. That officer used a Taser, which brought Mendoza to his knees before he pulled out the Taser’s projectiles, video shows. Mendoza then stood up, picked up a hammer and charged the male officer. The officers fired at least four rounds as Mendoza fell to the ground; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The officers had more than 10 years each with the department.
Jan. 3: A suspect was shot by Fresno police officers after stabbing a law-enforcement dog. The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Gabriel Mata of Fresno. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Police were in the area of American and Maple avenues to pick up Mata, who was wanted for multiple felonies, including acts of violence and weapon charges. As officers made contact with Mata, an altercation occurred and he fled the area. Cyra, a Fresno County Sheriff’s dog, joined the chase and Mata stabbed the dog as he futilely tried to get away. Cyra is OK.
Dec. 22: Ryan Brooks was critically wounded by two officers at a shopping center near Friant and Fort Washington roads in northeast Fresno. Police said the 26-year-old pointed what appeared to be a gun at officers about 10:30 p.m. in the center near Woodward Park. Officers learned after the shooting that Brooks himself made the 911 call to report a white man in a Volkswagen who was “going to start shooting.”
