Officer-involved shooting suspect arrested after chase following Tulare County robbery
A 20-year-old man was arrested after allegedly robbing two people and then pointing his gun at a responding officer during a subsequent police chase in Tulare.
Suspect Jordan Ruelas-Alvarez was found hiding in a storage complex near an ampm store at Mooney Boulevard and Prosperity Avenue in Tulare on Sunday night.
Tulare police on Monday said one of their officers responded “within seconds” of being dispatched around 11:45 p.m. Sunday to the ampm for a robbery call, where the officer saw three people running from the area.
The officer started to chase the trio and saw that one of them had a gun, police said.
“He ordered the suspect to stop, at which time the suspect pointed the firearm at the officer,” police said in a news release. “The officer drew his firearm and shot at the suspect. The suspect dropped his weapon but continued running and was able to elude the officer.”
Additional law enforcement arrived, including the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and air support from the California Highway Patrol. They worked together to locate Ruelas-Alvarez hiding in a nearby storage complex. Police said he was uninjured.
The other two individuals who ran from police were determined to be victims of Ruelas-Alvarez, who had just been robbed of personal property, police said.
The gun Ruelas-Alvarez dropped was found loaded, police said. It was collected as evidence.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Matt Muller at 559-685-2300, ext. 2157.
