An officer on patrol spotted Pedro Murillo on it just before 3 a.m., so he tried to talk to the 25-year-old. Murillo didn't want to talk.
"He tried to flee on the bike and actually wrecked the bike, got off of it and then tried to flee on foot," said Fresno County Sheriff's Office spokesman Chris Curtice. "The officer pursued him on foot a short distance. As he did approach, the officer saw him produce a small caliber handgun and point it at him."
That's when the officer opened fired, shooting Murillo several times. Investigators aren't saying if the suspect fired back, but they did find a weapon they believe was his. The gunfire echoed through the neighborhood, menacing the family next door.
"My nephew was with me," said Armando Escandon. "He crawled under the bed, the rollaway we had there, an I just got down. I told my daughter to get down."
Fresno County homicide detectives took over the investigation. They know Murillo had a couple prior charges for drinking and driving, and a warrant out for his arrest. But they say the Huron officer didn't have time to think about his criminal history. He only had time to react.
"It doesn't really matter what his past is," said deputy Curtice. "When you point a handgun at an officer, there's a good chance you're going to get shot."
