Man suspected of shooting ex-girlfriend dies in Fresno Police custody after getting tased
A 39-year-old man died after a struggle with Fresno Police officers while being arrested, Chief Paco Balderrama announced Saturday, with the department later learning he was wanted as a suspect in a brutal series of crimes earlier in the day.
Among the crimes: Attempted murder after the man shot his ex-girlfriend in the face, police said.
He was identified Sunday by Fresno Police as 39-year-old Jorge Calleres of Parlier.
Callerres was arrested around 1 p.m. after officers responded to someone acting erratically and knocking on doors in the area of Peach and Butler avenues, neighbors told police.
Balderrama said arriving officers found Calleres incoherent and possibly under the influence of drugs.
Calleres, who was described as 6 feet tall and about 300 pounds, refused to be detained by police, Balderrama said, prompting officers to tase Calleres and use three handcuffs to cuff him in the back after initially taking him to the ground.
Calleres was still talking and breathing and even tried to kick officers after getting arrested, according to police.
Then officers noticed Calleres suddenly started having medical issues, Balderrama said.
Calleres was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead around 2 p.m.
“I was able to view some of the footage and I can tell you that there was nothing inappropriate,” Balderrama said. “The officers were simply just trying to get him to calm down, asking for his arms and trying to get him cuffed and secured, at which he started having medical complications.”
Investigators later learned that Calleres had shot his ex-girlfriend in the face earlier in the day during a domestic violence incident in Selma, police said.
The ex-girlfriend was in critical condition, Balderrama said.
While fleeing the ex-girlfriend’s house in Selma, Calleres carjacked a vehicle with a mother and children inside and drove to Fresno, according to police. The kidnapped family eventually was let out after one of the children faked an asthma attack, and Calleres pulled over and ordered them to get out of the carjacked vehicle.
It was around 12:50 p.m. when police received calls of Calleres acting odd and knocking on doors in the 1700 block of South Karen Avenue.
Balderrama said Calleres was on parole and had been in prison for fighting against officers.
The chief added that Calleres is confirmed to have been a gang member, and would’ve been charged with attempted murder and kidnapping.
The sheriff’s office said it is still investigating the incident regarding the shooting of the ex-girlfriend and kidnapping.
Fresno Police were still looking into Calleres’ death and what happened during his arrest.
Cause of Calleres’ death was not immediately known.
Dying after being tased, however, has been known to occur.
Amnesty International, which supports stricter limits on the use of Tasers, said in 2012 that at least 500 people in the United States died since 2001 after being shocked with stun guns during an arrest or while in jail, the New York Times reported.
This story was originally published September 4, 2021 at 7:00 PM.
