PoliceIncidents

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 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 approximately 8:15 AM on Saturday, March 23, 2024, Deputies responded to a residence on the 6500 block of Campanile Street in Rio Linda for a suicidal subject. The caller reported that her brother, later identified as 38-year-old Christopher Gilmore, had schizophrenia, was armed with a knife, and was cutting himself in a bathroom. Prior to Deputies arriving on scene, all family members had exited the residence, and Gilmore was inside by himself. The Sacramento Metro Fire Department staged nearby until Deputies could arrive. When Deputies arrived, they attempted to call him outside the residence, but he refused. Per one of Gilmore’s roommates, Gilmore made statements that he wanted to die by “suicide by cop.” Deputies learned Gilmore was on probation and had just been arrested six days earlier (March 17, 2024) by another agency for PC 69 (violently resisting an officer) and other charges, including vandalism, DUI, and drug charges. The courts had since released him on his own recognizance as a pre-trial release. Gilmore then unexpectedly opened the garage while holding a knife. Deputies backed away toward the sidewalk and street while directing him to drop the knife and exit toward them. Gilmore refused as Deputies continued to attempt to give him directives. After several minutes into this interaction, Gilmore exited the garage while still holding the knife and began advancing toward Deputies. One Deputy deployed multiple less lethal shotgun rounds at Gilmore to try and stop and disarm him, but they were ineffective. Despite multiple directives to stop and being hit with multiple less lethal rounds, Gilmore continued to advance and came within just several feet of a Deputy while still holding the knife before the Deputy shot him with his service weapon. Deputies administered first aid on the scene, including applying tourniquets and a chest seal until fire personnel arrived. Unfortunately, Gilmore was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The woman and a family member bought him guns that he was prohibited from owning. On April 23, 2022, at approx. 2:44, this afternoon, Deputies were dispatched on a call for a suicidal subject, who was believed to be armed with a long gun. After searching for nearly an hour and phones conversations with the adult male, the individual was located behind the CVS in Forest Hill. The interaction concluded with the Deputies’ discharging their firearms. No Deputies were injured and there is no additional threat to community safety. The adult male was transported to a local hospital and has since died of his injuries.

On March 30, 2024, at 11:30 p.m., East Los Angeles Station deputies responded to the 1500 block of North Herbert Avenue, Unincorporated Los Angeles, regarding a call of a woman screaming for help and being followed by a van. Upon arrival, deputies contacted a female Hispanic adult who stated her boyfriend had just assaulted her. While deputies were speaking with the female, they observed a male in a green Honda van driving southbound on Herbert Avenue toward City Terrace Drive. The male was later identified as 44-year-old Adrian Agustin Pilar from the City of Los Angeles. Deputies followed Agustin Pilar in their patrol vehicle until they arrived at the end of the cul-de-sac in the 3900 block of East Snow Drive, Unincorporated Los Angeles. Deputies exited their patrol vehicle and detained Agustin Pilar at gunpoint. Deputies gave him commands to stop his vehicle. Agustin Pilar made a 3-point turn and drove in the direction of the deputies. Deputies again gave Agustin Pilar commands to stop his vehicle, but he refused to stop and continued to drive toward one of the deputies, at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred. Agustin Pilar sustained gunshot wounds to the upper torso. Deputies rendered first aid until the arrival of Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics. Agustin Pilar was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. One deputy was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries sustained during the incident.

On April 14, 2024, at approximately 1516 hours, El Paseo PD Officers observed a male walking in and out of roadway. The officers observed he had injuries to his face and was bleeding. The officers attempted to contact with this subject and called for medical services. The subject managed to evade the officers for a short distance. The officers caught up to the subject and a struggle ensued. Officer were able to subdue the subject who appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance. The subject then was transported to an area hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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.