SMC Sheriff’s Office Releases Video Of Fatal Police Shooting

HALF MOON BAY, CA — The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office released video footage of the fatal police shooting of a 61-year-old woman who had a shotgun and warned of a “race war” in Half Moon Bay last month.

Sheriff Carlos Bolanos described the circumstances that led to the May 5 shooting death of Sandra Lee Harmon of Eureka in the video.

The video can be viewed in its entirety here.

Bolanos describes audio from the 911 call that is heard in the video reporting a woman seen near the intersection of Main St. and Monte Vista Lane carrying what appeared to the caller to be a rifle in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

The woman was later identified as Harmon and the firearm seen was determined to be a shotgun, authorities said.

The 911 caller is heard on the video telling the dispatcher the woman warned her: “M'am, you better take precautions. There’s going to be a race war tonight.”

Deputies located Harmon behind 845 Main St. and Harmon allegedly fired at the first deputy who got there, sheriff's officials said.

Shots were being fired as the second deputy arrived. Sheriff's officials said both deputies told Harmon to get on the ground and she didn't.

Harmon apparently reached for the rifle, which was on the ground, and deputies fired at her. She was hit and died later at Stanford Hospital.

The footage shown in in the video is from a bodycam worn by one of the deputies and surveillance footage.

Bolanos said the District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office are conducting concurrent investigations.

“Our goal in releasing these videos, while still early in the investigation, is to provide our community with as much information as possible when we have a tragic incident such as this,” Bolanos said.

Bay City News contributed to this report