Update: Suspect shot dead by Fresno police at headquarters. He attacked a detective, chief says

A man was shot and killed on Tuesday, after police say he attacked a detective in his office at the Fresno Police Department Headquarters.

The incident happened just before noon at the department’s Annex building off of Fresno Street.

During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Police Chief Paco Balderrama said it was not immediately clear how the man got past the locked gates and passcodes to enter the building, but that he wasn’t supposed to be there.

The suspect entered the detective’s office and began striking him with an unknown weapon, hitting him on the head and cutting him on the head and neck.

At some point during the incident, the officer fired at least one shot at the suspect, Balderrama said. The suspect died at the scene.

The police have not yet identified the suspect, but Balderrama described him as 6 feet tall, more than 300 pounds and around 25 years old.

“This individual did not have access, should not have been in police headquarters, and really had no business here,” Balderrama said. “We don’t know what the motive is.”

Police have not recovered the suspect’s weapon.

Balderrama said the detective involved is in his 40s or 50s and has been in law enforcement about 25 years. He said the detective is “not very big in stature.”

The detective was taken to a Community Regional Medical Center and was expected to recover.

The city’s Office of Independent review and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office will be asked to be involved in the investigation, Balderrama said.

“I’m very relieved that this community did not lose a police officer this afternoon,” he said.

This story was originally published March 29, 2022 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Update: Suspect shot dead by Fresno police at headquarters. He attacked a detective, chief says."