Police name man they shot near Fresno High. Third shooting by an officer this year
Fresno police identified the man they shot Sunday after he allegedly fired at officers, according to a Monday news release.
Michael Zavala, 48, was the man accused of firing a “semi-automatic AR-type rifle” at a neighboring home and then at officers after 2 a.m. Sunday near Fresno High School, according to police.
Residents in a small apartment complex on East Weldon Avenue east of Palm Avenue heard gunfire and discovered a bullet hole in the wall of a bedroom where two children, ages 2 and 4, were sleeping, Lt. Bill Dooley said in an interview at the scene.
Officers escorted the family of four to safety and surrounded the apartment where they said the shooter was inside.
Zavala initially came out of his home but refused to cooperate with police and went back inside, police said.
Officers reported hearing gunfire around 4 a.m., police said. The man fired a gun through a window, according to police, and two officers returned fire.
Zavala surrendered about 40 minutes later and was taken to Community Regional Medical Center with what police described as a grazing wound to his head.
Dooley said the injury was not believed to be life-threatening.
Zavala is a convicted felon and was booked into the Fresno County Jail on suspicion of four counts of attempted murder for shooting into the adjoining apartment, four counts of attempted murder for shooting at officers and multiple weapons offenses, the release said.
Fresno police have fired their weapons at suspects three times so far this year. At the same time last year, officers had discharged their weapons once, according to the department.
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 11:55 AM.
