Witnesses in the area say they saw the stolen truck speeding down the street, then heard a loud noise as it crashed into a white sedan. A 61-year-old woman and her 43-year-old daughter were inside the car. The daughter had to be taken to the hospital for her injuries.
Officers had been following the truck for several miles. At one point, speeds reached 70 miles per hour. Units backed off once the driver made his way into a residential area. But, after he crashed, they moved in. Chief Jerry Dyer said, "The suspect at that point began to accelerate the vehicle. Officers positioned themselves around the car tried to extract the driver from the vehicle and at some point, there was resistance between the driver and one of the officers."
The officer shot the man once in the chest. CPR was performed, but he was pronounced dead minutes later. Investigators maintain the officer did the right thing.
Chief Jerry Dyer said, "He fired one round and it was from very close proximity, probably within four or five feet of the suspect, so at no time was the individuals in the park in danger. The danger that was posed to the public was as the result of this individual driving recklessly throughout Fresno in a stolen car and ultimately trying to get away."
In the video, Action News reporter Shannon Handy has complete coverage on the story.
