26-year-old man shot by Fresno police officers identified

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno police say a 911 call first came in around 10:30 last Wednesday about a man in a white Volkswagen with a gun at Fort Washington and Friant in northeast Fresno.

The caller said the man was going to "start shooting."

When officers arrived, they found the man doing donuts and burning out in the parking lot.

When they tried to pull the driver over, they say he got out of the Volkswagen and started coming at them.

RELATED: Man shot by officers in northeast Fresno, police say it was attempted 'suicide by cop'

"The subject had his right hand planted firmly in his jacket and ignored all commands of the officers to stop," says Fresno Police Deputy Chief Burke Farrah. "He advanced towards the officers rapidly, drew a weapon from his right hand pocket and pointed it at the officers."

Both officers fired at the man, now identified as 26-year-old Ryan Brooks. Police say the gun Brooks was holding was plastic and it was Brooks who made the 911 call to report himself.

He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Tuesday, Jonathan Rooker, the attorney for the Brooks family, said he will survive his injuries but he is paralyzed from the waist down.

Rooker says what happened Wednesday night can be attributed to the state of Brooks' mental health.

"Everything was fine a couple of hours earlier," Rooker said. "There were medication problems that occurred and it pushed him over the edge."

Rooker says Brooks was struggling to get a prescription refilled that night to treat his mental health condition.

Now, as he recovers in the hospital, his thoughts are with the officers who responded that night.

"Very apologetic to what the officer went through," Rooker said. "That's not how they should be spending their holiday either and he feels bad about what he put them through."

He says Brooks did not have any intent on harming others that night but wouldn't elaborate if Brooks intended to bring harm unto himself.

Chris Roup with the National Alliance on Mental Illness says a lapse in medication to treat mental health can mean detrimental consequences on more than just one person.

"Without it symptoms, can reoccur, symptoms can increase and those symptoms can be absolutely overwhelming," he said.

Brooks is facing two misdemeanor charges related to this incident.

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).