Man Killed By Police Gunfire In Banning ID As Local Resident

BANNING, CA — The Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner's Bureau has identified the man killed last week by police gunfire in Banning.

Fernando Guerrero Esparza, 39, of Banning died at the shooting scene Thursday.

According to the Banning Police Department, officers were summoned to a business in the 300 block of S. San Gorgonio Avenue shortly after 11 a.m. regarding a man armed with a knife.

When the first officer arrived, the alleged armed suspect was spotted in the area. The suspect charged the officer, and a shooting occurred in the 100 block of West Lincoln Street, according to information from the police department and the coroner.

The man was identified as Guerrero Esparza. Despite efforts to save him, he died at the scene. The officer who fired on him was not injured, police said.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department and the Riverside County District Attorney's Office are investigating the incident.

Further information was not released.