Woman shot and killed by Dinuba cops ID’d. Police say she was ‘known from multiple contacts’
A woman was killed in an officer-involved shooting on Monday afternoon in Dinuba.
The woman was shot in the torso after she allegedly pointed a handgun in the direction of Dinuba police officers who had responded to a call in the 1500 block of Millard Way around 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dinuba Police Lt. Abel Iriarte said.
The woman was identified Tuesday as Jennifer Taylor, 43. She was “known from multiple contacts in the past,” Dinuba police said Tuesday.
Iriarte on Monday said Taylor was arguing with neighbors, and that police were able to “calm the situation down.” Taylor initially returned to her home nearby – then police heard a gunshot, Iriarte said.
Officers then looked over and saw her with a handgun in her hand.
Iriarte said he’s “not sure if the officer told her to drop the weapon then or after,” but that Taylor allegedly pointed the handgun in the direction of police and then at least one officer shot her, striking her somewhere in the upper torso.
Another police officer was present during the shooting. At least one Dinuba police officer will be put on paid administrative leave, Iriarte said, and the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting.
Taylor died of her injuries shortly after the shooting. Iriarte said she was still alive during initial transport to an area hospital. No one else was injured and no one had been arrested in the case as of Monday afternoon.
The Dinuba Police Department will also do an administration investigation to see if any of its department policies were violated.
Iriarte said the department has been involved in two other officer-involved shootings in recent years – one in 2017, which resulted in one death, and another in 2018.
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 6:32 PM.
