4 shootings under review by Fresno police oversight unit; killing of dog ruled justified
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Gerald Johnson, 55, fired a pellet gun at Fresno police before he was shot by officers on March 22, 2020. Police reported that he was armed with what appeared to be a real handgun, but did not say that he fired it.
The shootings of three people in 2020 and one in late 2019 involving Fresno police officers remain under review by the city’s Office of Independent Review, while the shooting of a dog was completed and determined to be justified.
The office, headed by Independent Reviewer John A. Gliatta, also investigated 10 reports of unreasonable force by police and noted disciplinary actions against officers in the second quarter of the year, according to a report released Monday.
The shootings still to be resolved by the office include a Nov. 22, 2019, case, and a second on March 22, 2020, when at least one officer fatally wounded a suspect, later determined to be armed with an air pistol. A third incident is also being probed, when on March 24, either a legally armed citizen or an officer returned fire and wounded a man after the suspect fired a shotgun at officers while fleeing.
The November case took place near southwest Fresno, where a sergeant and an officer fired on a man who was reportedly armed with a replica handgun. Police initially received a call for help from a private security officer before a confrontation ensued. The suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
The March 22 fatal shooting took place as officers responded to a domestic violence incident near southeast Fresno. Gerald Johnson, 55, died after he was shot by officers who believed he was raising a real firearm as officers approached. It was a pellet gun.
In a shooting on March 24, a man reportedly armed with a shotgun was wounded by either a citizen or an officer after he fired the weapon at police while fleeing officers. Michael Sanchez, 29, was taken into custody.
In a June 9 incident, caught on security cameras, police shot a man who was reported to be riding his bicycle into traffic and pointing a gun at passing motorists. The dark-colored object ended up being a cell phone.
The report by the independent review office called the fatal shooting of the dog on May 13 “within department policy.” It took place as the officer was investigating a burglary and was charged by a total of three dogs. Two of the animals halted their advance, but the third continued while growling and showing its teeth. The report said the officer, in an open field, did not have the opportunity to seek cover and fired a single gunshot, fatally wounding the dog.
According to the report, the department started four new unreasonable force cases against officers in the second quarter of 2020. Of 10 cases completed, police determined officers were involved in policy violations in two.
So far in 2020, one officer has been terminated, two resigned in lieu of possible termination and 12 have been suspended.
This story was originally published July 21, 2020 at 12:58 PM.