Richmond Officer Shoots Suspect in Self-Defense, Suspect in Critical Condition

Update:

A suspect who was shot today by a Richmond police officer was carrying drugs and a semi-automatic handgun, police said. Richmond police Capt. Mark Gagan said crime scene technicians found a sandwich bag full of methamphetamine and “other bags” of marijuana. Gagan said the drugs and gun could help explain the suspect’s actions.

“I’m not going to speculate on the suspect’s motives, but him being armed with a firearm and drugs sizable enough for sale is a relevant factor in this incident,” Gagan said. Around 1:30 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 2000 block of Nevin Avenue tried to speak with a man who the officer believed was suspicious.

The suspect allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine and the officer shot him, Gagan said. The suspect was transported to a local trauma center in critical condition and Gagan said the man was in surgery just before 4 p.m.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the case, Gagan said.

Original story:

A man is in critical condition this afternoon after a Richmond police officer shot him when he allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun, police said. The officer was on patrol around 1:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Nevin Avenue when he came across a suspicious person, Richmond police Capt. Mark Gagan said.

Gagan said the officer is Hispanic and speaks Spanish and he described the suspect as a young Hispanic man. As the officer was trying to make contact with the suspect, the suspect pulled out a semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine, indicating the gun could have more bullets available than a typical handgun, prompting the officer to open fire.

“The officer shot the suspect in defense of his own life,” Gagan said. The suspect was taken to a trauma center, where he is in critical condition, Gagan said. He said he had not received any reports of the officer suffering any injuries in the incident. Gagan said investigators from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office arrived on scene just after 2:30 p.m. and will take over the investigation, a countywide policy.

“We let them take the lead in officer-involved shootings,” Gagan said. “We’re here to play a supporting role.” Earlier today, Richmond police Chief Chris Magnus wrote on Twitter about an officer who was shot in the line of duty in Flagstaff, Arizona.

“Just how fast do officers face danger, even death?” Magnus wrote in the tweet, which included a link to what he called a “chilling video” from the officer’s body camera.

By Bay City News

Photo via Shutterstock

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