Thread: CA:Deputy shoots teen to death in Delano

Deputy shoots teen to death in Delano
BY STEVE E. SWENSON, Californian staff writer
e-mail: sswenson@bakersfield.com | Monday, Apr 14 2008 7:36 AM
Last Updated: Monday, Apr 14 2008 2:46 PM

A Kern County sheriff's deputy shot a 16-year-old boy to death early Monday morning in Delano following a car chase which at one point resulted in the suspect vehicle backing into a sheriff's deputy, officers reported.

The incident began 1:52 a.m. at California and Robertson avenues in McFarland where an attempt was made to stop a brown Honda Civic with three Hispanic males inside for unspecified minor vehicle violations, Sgt. Craig Rennie said. Authorities later learned the car had been reported stolen out of Delano.

A nearly hourlong chase ensued to Delano. The Honda sideswiped two to three unoccupied vehicles along the way. It then broke a wooden fence and stopped in a backyard on Belmont Street at 15th Avenue, deputies said.

The chase lasted about 20 minutes before the car stopped in the rear yard, deputies said.

Two of the suspects ran away at that point, but one was caught a short distance later with the help of the sheriff's helicopter and additional K-9 dogs, deputies said.

Also at that point, Deputy Doug Jauch got out of his car to release his K-9 when the suspect backed his vehicle into him, Rennie said. He was struck in the leg and fell onto the trunk of the Honda, deputies said.

Jauch, 39, a 7-year veteran of the department, fired a few shots, hitting at least the car, but it was unknown if he hit the driver, Rennie said. Jauch was taken to Kern Medical Center where he was treated and released.

The suspect who was arrested, Salvadore Villareal, 20, of McFarland, was booked into county jail on charges of possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, conspiracy and gang participation, Sgt. Ed Komin said. The suspect who successfully fled the scene is described as a Hispanic male in his 20s with a shaved head, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8, medium build and wearing a striped shirt.

The driver of the stolen vehicle, identified Monday afternoon as 16-year-old Manuel Ayon of Delano, drove away but didn't get far.

A deputy's car struck the Honda in the rear and spun it around into a fence at 14th Avenue west of Clinton Street. Deputy Joe Weiss, 40, a three-year veteran of the department, ordered the driver to get out out of the car, but the driver refused, deputies reported.

Ayon turned his back toward the deputies and reached into the floorboard area near the passenger side. Weiss feared for his safety and fired several rounds from his handgun, deputies reported.

Ayon was struck and later pronounced dead at the scene.

One neighbor, Cameron Link, 25, witnessed the chase and end-result.

"This guy was flying through this neighborhood — like 75 mph, coming real close to hitting cars. He had no concern."

Link also described the deputy hitting the suspect's car in a "pit maneuver" causing it to spin out. Then he said he heard gunshots and ducked. He did not hear the deputy or suspect speak from his vantage point about a half block to the east.

Link said he believes the man is from the neighborhood because he saw a group of people crying at the scene this morning.

He said he overheard an older woman say, "They took my baby."

Another neighbor, 20-year-old Salvadore Mendoza, said he did not see the incident himself, but he talked to a neighbor right across the street.

That neighbor, whose name Mendoza did not know, was in his front yard and saw the deputy's car spin out the Honda. That neighbor said the deputy ran up to the car and opened fire, Mendoza related.

"I think that's a little corruption," said Mendoza if it happened that way.

Students and teachers at Fremont School, also located at 14th and Clinton, were greeted with crime tape Monday morning. Security officers walked the perimeter of the school during and after investigators were on the scene.

Ron Garcia, superintendent of the Delano Union Elementary School District, said administrators at both Fremont and Almond Tree Middle School were informed deputies had searched their schools for the missing suspect.

Garcia said the schools closed their gates and restricted access to their sites during the early morning school hours while security guards roamed around the outside to protect the students.

It was unknown whether any of the suspects were armed, Rennie said. No shots were fired at officers, he said. The suspect's body was removed from the scene around 8:30 a.m.
http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/ ... 16138.html

If I was the officer and a car is fleeing like that I would have every reason to believe that the suspect is armed and dangerous. The officer needed to defend himself. The suspects did not seem to care who was in their way and who they could kill. For all the officer knew, they could have been wanted for murder. If an officer wants to stop me, I STOP! I don't go on a high speed rampage. The police have been killed before and I don't blame the officer one bit for fireing his weapon.