2 officers still recovering after being shot during a struggle with a suspect in Los Banos
LOS BANOS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Los Banos Police said the shooting was over in minutes, but it was enough time to send two officers to the hospital and leave a suspect dead. Now investigators are trying to figure out how it all happened.
"That's one of the things we're looking into-- what transpired inside the home. We're reviewing body cam footage, we're talking to the officers following the incident," said Los Banos Police Chief Gary Brizzee.
The frightening call from officers came in around 6:00 a.m. on Monday. Chief Brizzee said the two officers were responding to a call from a child who told police his father broke into their apartment. He said officers tried to talk the suspect, identified as Norberto Reyes , out of the apartment. The officers even used tazers, but Reyes was able to take off the cartridges.
"That doesn't happen normally, so that is one of the scenarios we're following and whether the individual was doing drugs," said Chief Brizzee.
Chief Brizzee could not confirm how Reyes got a hold of the gun. He said both the officers and Reyes were shot in the struggle.
Reyes later died, and the officers were flown to Modesto where they are now stabilized.
Chief Brizzee said the officer shot once is communicating, he said the officer who was shot three times is not able to speak yet, and his injuries are more severe.
"One of the wounds he suffered was to his head, near his eye-- the diagnosis is yet to be said."
Detective Sean Bayard is one of the many looking into the investigation. He knew the officers on a personal level and said he is shocked by the news.
"They are the ones that, when they respond to a call, they're competent, they generally have no problems in dealing with situations like the one yesterday."
They are looking at the footage right now-- the Chief said he may release the body cam footage after the investigation is complete.
The toxicology report for Reyes has not been released yet, so officer's are waiting to see if drugs and alcohol were involved in this shooting.
While authorities continue to piece together clues into what exactly happened inside the Los Banos apartment early Monday morning, investigators are conducting an extensive background check into Reyes.
"What we can find out about him to determine what may have caused this incident to occur. So this is going to be a very in depth investigation that will include a very thorough background check of the suspect in this matter," said Chief Brizzee.
We have learned through court documents that Reyes had a checkered past that included a history with drugs and several run in's with the law.
Reyes' last known address was in Stevenson and the property owners told us they were forced to kick him out about two months ago because of his erratic behavior.
Officials said Reyes was recently homeless and estranged from his wife. According to a temporary restraining order she filed in Merced County on February 1st of this year which revealed his children were said to be traumatized after seeing him constantly using drugs and nonstop shouting.
According to the report Reyes also made, "threats to harm them and open propane containers while everyone else was asleep."
Los Banos Police are not revealing much about the case, but Reyes' history with the law dates back to at least 2009 where he received probation for obstruction and resisting arrest. More recently he was sentenced to 16 days in county jail for driving on a suspended license in late December of 2016. Then a month later was arrested again on another obstruction charge.
