Police Incidents

On Sunday, March 24, 2024, at approximately 11:17 p.m., Milwaukee Police received several calls of shots fired in the 5400 block of N. 64th Street. Several squads responded. Upon arrival, uniformed officers located an armed suspect who abruptly fled from officers on foot ignoring their lawful commands to stop. Officers pursued the armed suspect on foot and encountered him in the 6400 block of W. Sheridan Avenue. During the encounter, the suspect fired two shots at the officers at which time, multiple officers returned fire, subsequently striking the suspect several times. The suspect, 20-year-old Marquis Little, sustained life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment and is in critical condition.

At around 7:40 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2024, two Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a reported domestic situation involving a man armed with a gun at a home in the 4700 block of Santala Drive. The officers arrived at the scene at around 7:50 a.m. Officers entered the home and announced themselves as KPD officers. Seconds later, they encountered a man armed with a handgun, who then shot a woman who was inside of the home. Officers fired in response, striking the man at least one time. Officers immediately requested medical assistance. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, while the woman was transported to the UT Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the face. Her injuries are not considered life-threatening.

On April 27, 2024, at approximately 12:13 a.m., Hartford Police Officer Devanand Budhoo was dispatched to Wethersfield Avenue on a report of a hit-and-run motor vehicle accident. While speaking with the damaged vehicle’s owner, Officer Budhoo heard gunshots that appeared to be coming from the house across the street at 474 Wethersfield Avenue. Officer Budhoo saw a person, later identified as 30-year-old Jimmy Muriel run from the front door of that house followed by a second person, later identified as 34-year-old Luis Ortiz who was firing shots in the direction of Muriel. Officer Budhoo returned fire. No one was hit. Ortiz was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm and related charges. Ortiz remains held on a $750,000 bond following his arraignment Monday in Hartford Superior Court. He is due back in court on June 5.

On April 17, 2024, Just before 5:30 p.m., KPD officer Seth Beeler arrived alone at the Exxon on a report that a man, since identified as William Charles McBride Jr., was acting erratically and potentially violently inside of the store. After arriving on scene, Officer Beeler is told by a witness that McBride was armed with a knife. Officer Beeler sees that McBride was armed with two knives and at least one customer was in the store. Officer Beeler confronted McBride, who then ran from the store, appeared to swing a knife at the witness and run in Officer Beeler’s direction, at which time shots were fired. Responding officers started rendering aid to McBride at around 5:33 p.m. KFD medical personnel arrived at the scene approximately one minute later.

On Thursday, April 25, 2024, at approximately 4:41 p.m., the Arlington Police Department responded to an apartment complex in the 2700 block of Lawrence Road to investigate reports of a possible stabbing. As officers approached the apartment in question, they could see an adult male looking out the window. Due to the nature of the call, officers set up a perimeter around the apartment and gave verbal commands for the man to come outside and show his hands. The man exited the apartment holding a knife. Officers instructed the man multiple times to drop the knife, but he did not comply. The man then suddenly moved in the direction of the officers, at which point one of the officers fired his service weapon. The man fell to the ground, but quickly stood up and began running towards a wooded area on the east side of the complex between the apartment buildings and N. Collins Street. Officers pursued the man on foot and continued giving him commands to stop and drop the knife. As they approached an embankment, the man turned around, raised the knife, and began to move towards the officers. The same officer who fired his service weapon near the apartment building then fired his service weapon a second time. The man turned away from the officers and began running down the embankment into a field along N. Collins Street. When he got to the field, he went to the ground still holding the knife. A second officer deployed his taser, immobilizing the man. The other officers then moved in and detained him. As they were placing him in handcuffs, they realized the man had a gunshot wound. The officers immediately began performing life saving measures on the man until paramedics arrived. He was transported to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. No officers were injured during the incident.

Officer Skenandore did observe both the complainant’s vehicle and the red vehicle operated by Ventura. Officer Skenandore conducted a U-turn, crossing over the median and began following the vehicles. Officer Skenandore followed the two vehicles as they turned left onto Green Ridge Drive. At that point, the complainant’s vehicle pulled over to the side of the road and allowed Officer Skenandore to go past him. Officer Skenandore noted that the red vehicle, driven by Ventura, continued at a slow rate of speed and came to a stop in the middle of the road on Green Ridge Drive. Ventura then exited the vehicle and produced a black handgun and pointed it at Officer Skenandore. Officer Skenandore then ducked and drew his own duty handgun. Officer Skenandore discharged his duty weapon through the windshield at Ventura. Officer Skenandore then began driving at a faster rate of speed in order to get to a safer location, while informing dispatch that shots had been fired and that he needed assistance. Officer Skenandore retrieved his patrol rifle and exited his vehicle. He could still see Ventura standing on the side of the street and he could see an object in his hands. Officer Skenandore fired what he estimated to be two rife rounds at Ventura. Officer Skenandore observed Ventura then retreat out of sight to the west of where he was originally standing. Officer Skenandore took cover behind a van, then a tree, then another vehicle, as other officers began to arrive on scene. Shortly after other officers arrived on scene, they heard screams from a woman later determined to be Ventura’s girlfriend, who lived at the residence immediately to the west of where Ventura’s vehicle was stopped in the street. As officers approached the residence, Ventura was observed on the ground in the front yard of his girlfriend’s residence with an apparent gunshot wound to his head. Several officers heard Ventura’s girlfriend state that Ventura had shot himself in the head. Ventura was later transported to St. Vincent Hospital where he was pronounced deceased not long after arrival.

On April 25, 2024, at approximately 9:12 a.m., Naugatuck Police Department received a 911 call that there was a male with a knife at Baummer’s Pond Park acting erratically. Naugatuck officers responded to the park located on Mill Street. Upon arrival, they observed Kyle O’Creene, a Caucasian male, age 24, near a picnic table holding a knife. O’Creene stood up and advanced upon the officers with the knife, ignoring multiple commands to drop the knife. Officers initially atempted to subdue O’Creene using a taser, but the taser deployment was unsuccessful. When O’Creene continued to advance on the Naugatuck officers still holding the knife, Officer Crystal Hudson and Officer Joseph Palhete discharged their handguns, striking and wounding O’Creene. Officers on scene immediately commenced providing medical aid to O’Creene who was ultimately taken to Waterbury Hospital for treatment. He remains at the hospital in stable condition.

On April 12, 2024, OKCPD officers responded to the 200 block of SE 54th St. in reference to a man outside shooting a gun. When officers arrived, it was determined the man was inside of 243 SE 54th St. Officers were in a position of cover when they called the man out of the residence. The suspect, later identified as 59-year-old Juan Castorenna-Guerrero, exited the residence with a gun in his hand. Officers gave Castorenna-Guerrero verbal commands to drop the gun. He did not drop the gun, so an officer deployed a 40mm less lethal round toward him. Castorenna-Guerrero then raised his firearm and pointed it at officers. Six officers discharged their firearms toward the suspect. He retreated back into the residence. After several minutes, Castorenna-Guerrero exited the residence without the firearm and surrendered to officers. He was not struck by the officers' gunfire. He was arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on four counts of pointing a firearm.

Jonathan Adam Lecompte, 38, was a North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) employee who was killed on March 14, 2024 while trying to stop a carjacking in Lumberton, North Carolina. Lecompte was a witness to the theft of his NCDOT truck and was struck and fatally injured by the stolen vehicle after firing four shots at the carjacker.

On February 20th, 2024, at approximately 0005 hours, a female called 911 to report concerns about her mother’s safety. The daughter reported that her mother was with a male family member at his residence in Brush Prairie. The daughter stated that her mother was calling from the male family member’s phone, her behavior was strange, and she was making statements that didn’t sound like herself. While en route to the residence, initial responding deputies came across unrelated incident that required immediate law enforcement attention. Deputies encountered a severely intoxicated driver who was posing a safety risk to himself and drivers. As deputies dealt with the intoxicated driver, the original 911 caller, called back into 911. She stated she had just received a call from her mother, who said she was being held hostage and that there were guns everywhere. The caller said her mother then quickly hung up. The new information led to more deputies responding to the residence. At approximately 0117 hours, deputies arrived at the residence, located at 12521 NE 152nd Ave. in Brush Prairie, Washington. Deputies begin approaching the area of the property where the suspect lives in an RV. Deputies then encounter the suspect and the victim, who are standing outside the RV. Deputy #1 approaching the victim and speaking with her as other deputies speak with the suspect. The victim tells Deputy #1 about an alleged sexual assault and reports that the suspect is armed. When Deputies attempt to detain the suspect, he draws a firearm. At this time deputy involved shooting occurred. The suspect was struck and fell to the ground. Deputies rendered medical aid until Fire department personnel arrived. The suspect was pronounced deceased.

On April 13, 2024, at 10:38 a.m., Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Deputies responded to a reported carjacking in Hazel Dell (9200 Block of NE 15th Avenue). The victim reported that two suspects, a male and a female, had stolen his van. The witness also stated that the male suspect was armed with a handgun. The suspects reportedly left the scene in the stolen van. At 10:54 a.m., CCSO Deputies were dispatched to a suspicious circumstance near Goodwill in Salmon Creek, located at 14300 NE 20th Avenue. Witnesses stated that a male and female had attempted to carjack a vehicle with a person inside. Descriptions of the suspects near Goodwill matched the descriptions of the armed suspects in the Hazel Dell carjacking. Authorities have since identified the suspect as 41-year-old Benjamin Woods. Deputies responded to the scene and set up a containment area to search for the suspects. Deputies located the stolen van from the Hazel Dell carjacking behind the American Legion at 14011 NE 20th Avenue. Deputies observed Woods enter the American Legion. Immediately as the deputies reach the bathroom vestibule, Woods can be seen emerging from the men's room. He appears to be holding a handgun pointed directly at the officers. Multiple deputies open fire, and Woods quickly drops to his knees, evidently having been shot several times. Behind him on the tile floor is the gun, a small revolver. Deputies eventually drag him out onto the floor and cut off his clothes to begin giving first aid. When an ambulance crew arrived, they pronounced Woods deceased at the scene. The female suspect is currently outstanding.

On March 21, 2024, around 5:10 a.m. Robbery-Homicide Division (RHD) and Metropolitan Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit were at an apartment in the 7900 block of Reseda Boulevard to serve a search and arrest warrant for a suspect involved in a series of robberies. SWAT surrounded the apartment complex and made telephonic contact with the individual, Zeff Rocco, and ordered him to surrender. Shortly after, Rocco climbed over the third-story balcony of the apartment, armed with an assault rifle, and jumped to the ground. Rocco dropped the rifle as he struck the ground and immediately began to reach for it. As Rocco reaquired a grip on the rifle, an Officer-Involved Shooting occurred. Rocco was struck by gunfire and was taken into custody. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel who were at the scene transported Rocco to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. No officers or other community members were injured during this incident. The rifle Rocco was armed with was recovered at the scene and was determined to be a 5.56 caliber semiautomatic Ghost Gun. The rifle was loaded with 39 rounds, and had an additional loaded magazine secured to the weapon.

On Friday, April 19 just after 7 p.m., deputies responded to a duplex on Farraday Lane in Palm Coast after the FCSO Communications Center received a 9-1-1 call regarding a highly intoxicated female. Prior to arriving at the residence, Deputy Parker located the woman, Julia Jones, 40, a Palm Coast resident, at the intersection of Farraday Lane and Fawn Lane. While speaking with her, deputies noticed she could not keep her balance and smelled strongly of alcohol. They asked her to stand next to the patrol car to keep from swaying into oncoming traffic and at that point she became extremely agitated and began screaming. While deputies attempted to detain her to prevent further disturbance, she began spitting on the deputies and struggling to break free. After several minutes, deputies and medical personnel were able to gain control of Jones and place her in the back of the patrol car. During a search of her backpack, deputies located a small bag that contained three white pills that were identified as containing acetaminophen and hydrocodone. Jones was arrested on charges of Disorderly Intoxication – Public Place, Cause Disturbance; Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer; and Possession of Hydrocodone. While en route to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, Jones began banging her head repeatedly inside the vehicle and actively screaming. Deputies transported her to AdventHealth for medical clearance before she was taken to jail. Jones posted a bond of $7,500 and was released. “This woman disrupted a peaceful neighborhood and then continued to berate and attack and spit on deputies,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “If you spit and attack a Deputy Sheriff we guarantee you a trip to the Green Roof Inn.”

On March 24, 2024, around 11:05 a.m., 77th Street Division officers responded to a radio call of a Domestic Violence Restraining Order Violation in the 1700 block of West 59th Street. As the officers arrived, they saw the suspect, later identified as Brian Garay, in front of the residence. Garay immediately ran from the officers who pursued him on foot. A TASER was used, and probes struck Garay in the chest and stomach. Garay fell to the ground and was taken into custody. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responded and transported Garay to a local hospital. During the transportation, Garay began to show signs of medical distress. Garay was admitted to the hospital in critical condition, but since admittance has been updated to stable condition. No officers or community members were injured during the incident.

On April 10th, 2024, at approximately 11:13 a.m. Lansing Police Department detectives were conducting a follow-up on a violent crime. Detectives requested assistance from uniformed officers in patrol cars to conduct a traffic stop on the suspect. The officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle as it entered a parking lot behind an apartment complex in the 2000 block of Holmes Rd. After several minutes of speaking with the suspect outside of the vehicle, officers attempted to place him in custody. At this point, the suspect attempted to flee on foot and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, the accused disarmed a detective and discharged the firearm striking one officer and grazing another. At this point, one officer returned gunfire striking the accused in the lower left leg. Officers immediately performed life-saving measures on the accused before being transported to a local hospital.

At approximately 1:56 a.m., Austin 9-1-1 received an emergency call reporting a disturbance inside an apartment at 3050 Tamarron Boulevard. The caller stated there was a physical disturbance that could be heard coming from a nearby apartment.  Within the same minute, APD officers were dispatched to the call.  At approximately 2:06 a.m., three officers arrived at the apartment complex and attempted to find the disturbance. Officer Gabriel Walker Prado located the apartment and through a sliding glass door in the rear patio area observed two subjects inside the apartment engaged in a disturbance. Officer Walker Prado alerted two additional officers that were nearby searching for the scene of the disturbance. Both officers approached the front door area, while the first officer stayed positioned near the patio area. While the two other officers approached the front door area, Officer Adam Reinhart arrived on scene. Officer Reinhart knocked on the front door and announced, “Austin Police.” At approximately 2:09 a.m., Officer Walker Prado observed through the sliding glass door that one of the male subjects, later identified as Avelino Medel II, was armed with a gun in his hand. Mr. Medel, with the gun in his hand, pointed in an upward direction, then walked towards the front door where officers announced themselves. Officer Walker Prado at the rear by the patio immediately yelled 'gun, gun, gun,' and discharged his Department-issued firearm, striking Mr. Medel. Mr. Medel did not discharge his firearm. Mr. Medel fell to the ground, and the officers gave him verbal commands to stop moving and put his hands up. The second male subject involved in the disturbance opened the door and exited the apartment. Officers then made entry into the apartment, took Mr. Medel into custody, and rendered first aid. Mr. Medel’s firearm was located on the floor and recovered in close proximity to where Mr. Medel fell. At approximately 2:30 a.m., Mr. Medel was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was released from the hospital on Sunday, April 7. The other male involved in the disturbance did not sustain any injuries. Currently, there are no charges pending, though the case remains under active investigation.

On April 17, 2024, around 3:00 p.m., Seattle Police responded at the DoubleTree Suites Hilton Hotel to arrest a 67-year-old man who was being investigated by the state's Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. According to Police, the suspect believed he was meeting up with two girls ages 7 and 11. However, unbeknownst to the suspect, multiple SPD officers were undercover and waiting to arrest the man. Body-camera video shows the officers opening the door for the man, who immediately flashed a gun. A scuffle then occurred before police shot the man. The man was later pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. One officer was grazed by a bullet and was treated on the scene for minor injuries. No one else was injured.

On the morning of March 15, 2024, Officer Hare was dispatched to assist a motorist along Interstate 40. The motorist, Jaremy Alexander Smith, engaged Officer Hare in conversation before fatally shooting him and fleeing the scene in the officer's patrol vehicle. After a state-wide alert and a two-day intensive search, New Mexico State Police released the identity of the suspect, Jaremy Smith, alongside his extensive criminal history and warned that he was armed and dangerous. On March 17, 2024, Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report from a vigilant store clerk at a Murphys Gas Station located at 2730 Sunshine W Plaza Dr in Albuquerque, NM. The clerk's description matched that of Jaremy Smith. Deputies located Smith walking on Unser and established a perimeter in a nearby residential neighborhood in the area of Dennis Chavez Blvd and Unser. A foot pursuit ensued, and shots were fired, striking Smith who was then taken into custody without further incident. Smith was transported to an area hospital where he is being treated for his injuries.

On April 14, 2024, just before 10:00 a.m., HCSO deputies were patrolling the Beacon Meadows Park area. At some point, they encounter a suspect trespassed from the park the day before. Deputies asked him to leave, and for more than 20 minutes, deputies tried to de-escalate the situation, but the suspect refused to comply with the commands. Deputies deployed their tasers, and while the suspect was on the ground, he shot three times, hitting one deputy. The deputy was not critically injured.

On March 19, 2024, at 9:18 p.m., Lakewood Station deputies responded to a residence in the 15900 block of Indiana Avenue, Paramount, regarding a welfare call. They contacted the victim, who stated her ex-boyfriend had violated a protective order by showing up at her residence and demanding she let him inside. The male was later identified as 40-year-old Jose Acosta from the city of Bellflower. Deputies observed Acosta driving near the victim’s residence in an orange Pontiac vehicle. Deputies followed Acosta until he stopped in the number two lane of eastbound Artesia Boulevard at Downey Avenue in the city of Long Beach. As deputies prepared to conduct a traffic stop, they positioned their vehicles behind Acosta, who suddenly put his vehicle in reverse. Acosta accelerated backwards and crashed into the front end of the deputy’s patrol vehicle. The impact of the collision was so violent that it caused both vehicles to become inoperable. Deputies immediately exited their patrol vehicles and observed Acosta exit the driver’s door of his vehicle with a knife in his right hand. Deputies ordered Acosta to drop his weapon, but he refused and charged toward them, at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred. Acosta sustained gunshot wounds to the torso. Deputies rendered aid until the arrival of Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics. Acosta was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. A knife with an approximate three-inch blade was recovered at the scene. One deputy was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for life-threatening injuries sustained during the collision. There were no other persons injured in the incident.

April 09, 2024 Man is told to leave a gas station by a security guard (he was apparently grilling in the parking lot and had been asked to leave multiple times). Man pulls a gun. Security guard engages. Man fires back hitting the security guard in the thigh. Man is taken to the hospital and dies. Security guard is expected to be fine and is not facing charges.