Man shot by officers in northeast Fresno, police say it was attempted 'suicide by cop'
The man was taken to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition. His name has not been released.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A man lured police to a northeast Fresno shopping center late Wednesday night and tried to get cops to kill him, according to investigators.
Officers shot the man, but he was still in critical condition as of Thursday evening.
Gunfire caught the attention of an ABC30 insider as she drove past the Riverview Shopping Center.
Two Fresno police officers had opened fire on a suspect after a 911 call caught their attention.
"Fresno Police Department dispatch received a 911 call from a man who stated that there was another man in the shopping center armed with a handgun," said Deputy Chief Burke Farrah of the Fresno Police Department.
Investigators say the first two officers who got to the area spotted a Volkswagen doing donuts in the parking lot.
When they went to confront the driver, the officers say the man got out of his car and started walking towards them with his right hand in his pocket.
Police say the man ignored the officers telling him to stop.
Instead, they say he pulled out what turned out to be a plastic replica of a gun and pointed it at them.
The officers thought it was a gun, so they shot him, which is what the ABC30 insider heard.
Police tell us all the evidence points to this being an attempted "suicide by cop."
"The man who was shot was the man who called the police in the first place," Farrah said. "He called our officers to tell us that he was armed with a firearm. He called our officers and described his vehicle. He drove in an erratic manner to attract the attention of the officers and force a confrontation. Then he advanced all the officers and pulled this facsimile weapon out of his pocket."
On Tuesday morning, police identified the man as 26-year-old Ryan Brooks of Fresno.
He is at the Community Regional Medical Center recovering from his injuries.
He has been cited on two misdemeanor charges.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
