Suspect shot, killed by police at Fresno home. Chief says family had restraining order
A police officer shot and killed a 27-year-old man who charged at officers at a central Fresno home Thursday.
The man was identified Friday as 27-year-old Austin Flores, who Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said had two outstanding warrants.
Balderrama said two officers around 11:22 a.m. responded to a home near Crystal Avenue and Fountain Way for the second time in as many days. On Wednesday, police were there for an incident involving Flores, and the family had a restraining order against him, Balderrama said.
Officers on Thursday found Flores in the backyard of the home and saw that he was armed with a handgun, Balderrama said.
The officers backed up to the street in front of the house when Flores came out and charged at them, Balderrama said.
One officer fired their gun and hit Flores, Balderrama said. Flores died at the hospital.
It was not clear if Flores brandished his weapon when he was charging the officers.
Balderrama said police body cam footage of the incident would be reviewed.
Third fatal shooting in 2022
It was the third fatal shooting by a Fresno police officer in 2022.
In January, officers killed 26-year-old Edgar Mendoza on the lawn of the historic Meux Home downtown after he charged police with a hammer.
In March, Joseph Lee Roy, 24, was shot and killed after police say he attacked a detective in his office at the Fresno Police Department Headquarters.
The state Department of Justice said it will review the latest Fresno fatal officer-involved shooting.
In a press release, Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state investigation was being carried out pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506, which authorizes an independent review by the DOJ in such incidents. AG investigations of officer-involved fatal shootings have become commonplace.
Fresno Police spokesman Bill Dooley said Friday that the department is working with the DOJ on the investigation.
The DOJ said its Shooting Investigation Team deployed to the Fresno scene after it was notified by Fresno police.
“Once the investigation has been completed, it will be turned over to the (DOJ’s) Special Prosecutions Section” for independent review, the state agency added in the release.
This story was originally published May 19, 2022 at 1:59 PM.