Kern County Sheriff's Office releases video of BearCat running over suspect in Porterville shooting

KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Kern County Sheriff's Office released video of the moment their BearCat vehicle ran over 59-year-old David Morales, the suspect who barricaded himself inside his Porterville home and shot and killed Tulare County Deputy Randy Hoppert after deputies attempted to serve an eviction notice on April 9, 2026.

During the altercation between Morales and authorities, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office requested assistance from the Kern County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team.

According to the Kern County Sheriff's Office, at around 2:30 p.m., the Kern County Sheriff's Office SWAT team arrived with specialized equipment to assist TCSO along with other agencies.

Authorities attempted to negotiate a peaceful surrender with Morales while deploying specialized equipment to contain him.

During that time, deputies say Morales continued to shoot at them from inside his home.



Around 5:30 p.m., Morales fired multiple times and hit a KCSO Rook armored critical incident vehicle.

Soon after, Morales fled out of a window and into the backyard.

Around 6:00 p.m., KCSO SWAT drove a BearCat armored vehicle into the yard to search for the suspect.

Deputies say Morales then fired at the BearCat driver's side window with a high-powered rifle and a handgun three different times before KCSO SWAT used the BearCat as a means of deadly force to stop Morales.

Below is the critical incident video released by the Kern County Sheriff's Office; viewer discretion is advised, as some of the footage may be hard to watch.