California Department of Justice gets involved in Tulare shooting involving officers
Two Tulare police officers are on paid leave while local and state law enforcement officers investigate a deadly shooting.
At 3:15 p.m. Sunday, 911 dispatchers got a call regarding a man with a knife near Bardsley Avenue and Vetter Drive, not far from Tulare County Fairgrounds.
The caller told dispatchers that the man was "threatening to throw the knife at family members," Tulare Chief Fred Ynclan said.
When officers arrived, they made contact with the man, and a foot chase ensued, Ynclan said. It's unclear what happened next, but gunshots were fired, and the man was shot.
The man was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died.
The two involved officers weren't injured and have been placed on paid administrative leave, Ynclan said.
No further information has been released by the department, including the name and age of the victim.
During a press conference Monday afternoon, Ynclan made a statement regarding the incident and declined to answer additional questions. Instead, he asked that questions be referred to the California Department of Justice.
The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department and the DOJ are investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting. Under California law, the Department of Justice must investigate all police shootings that result in the death of an unarmed person.
Tulare police will investigate any crime that led to the officer firing his weapon. The case could be sent to the Attorney General's Office or Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward for review.
The officers will remain on leave until the investigation is over.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: California DOJ gets involved in Tulare shooting involving officers
