Farmersville police booking room fight ends after fatal shooting

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Authorities say a suspect was shot and killed in police custody just before 11pm Saturday night inside a Farmersville Police Department booking room.

Two officers are on paid administrative leave and the chief says according to preliminary reports he believes they followed protocol.

Investigators say a man in custody for a parole violation was being processed for an arrest when the situation turned violent.

Farmersville Police Department Chief Mario Krstic said, "They had to un-handcuff the subject to take photographs when they attempted to re-handcuff the subject a fight ensued. The fight lasted for several minutes and spilled over into a supervisor's office."

Police Chief Mario Krstic says one of the officers deployed their taser but it didn't affect the suspect who hasn't been identified. He says the officers then shot the suspect and he died at the scene.

Chief Krstic added, "I've been here for 18 years and this is our first officer-involved shooting."

According to Chief Krstic, one of the officers involved in the shooting has been an officer for a total of three years, and with his department for seven months. The other officer has been with the department for two years. They both had minor injuries from the fight.

The violent crimes unit at the Tulare County Sheriff's Office has taken over the officer-involved shooting investigation. And Chief Krstic says another agency will conduct a separate administrative investigation to make sure policies and producers were followed.