California Department of Justice Investigating Antioch Police Department Officer-Involved Shooting Under AB 1506

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta Monday announced that the California Department of Justice, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), is investigating and will independently review an officer-involved shooting (OIS) that occurred in Antioch in Contra Costa County on Friday.

The OIS incident resulted in the death of one individual and reportedly occurred at the conclusion of a stand-off involving the Antioch Police Department at approximately 7:00 p.m.

Following notification by local authorities, the California Department of Justice’s California Police Shooting Investigation Team for Northern California deployed to the scene of the OIS. Alongside other law enforcement partners, the California Department of Justice is investigating the incident.

Once the investigation has been completed, it will be turned over to the California Department of Justice’s Special Prosecutions Section within the Criminal Law Division for independent review. More information on the California Department of Justice’s roles and responsibilities under AB 1506 is available here: https://oag.ca.gov/ois-incidents.

Editors Notes – incident overview per Antioch Police:

• Subject was unarmed when he was shot and killed by SWAT

Antioch, CA —  On 12/10/2021 at approximately 1:11 PM, Antioch Police Department Dispatch began receiving numerous 911 calls of multiple gunshots being fired in the area of Dove Court. Several callers reported a neighbor on Dove Court was repeatedly shooting at homes and cars as he was walking down the street in the neighborhood.

All available officers responded to the area. Officers arriving at the scene reported hearing gunshots and confirmed one male suspect was armed with a rifle. The male suspect was wearing military-style, camouflage-patterned clothing, and it was later learned he was also wearing body armor.

During the police response, the suspect entered a house on Dove Court, which was later determined to be where the suspect lived. Based on the ongoing danger to the public, residents were advised to shelter-in-place or were contacted by law enforcement personnel and safely evacuated.

Mutual Aid was requested and the Brentwood Police Department, Pittsburg Police Department, and the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff responded to provide immediate support. The Antioch’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) and the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) were activated and responded to the scene.

As officers established a perimeter in an attempt to contain the incident, the suspect remained barricaded inside the home and intermittently fired the rifle at officers, homes, and vehicles.

During the stand-off, which spanned the course of several hours, Antioch CNT made numerous attempts to contact the suspect, to de-escalate the situation and negotiate a peaceful resolution. CNT members asked the subject to exit the house unarmed, so he could be taken into custody without being harmed.  The subject refused to exit peacefully and disconnected with CNT several times and continued to fire rounds from inside the home.

During the stand-off, the suspect fired approximately 30 times in the direction of officers and other residents in the area.

At approximately 7:07 PM, a fire started inside the home, which spread to the garage. As the fire quickly began to engulf the house, the suspect exited the residence. The suspect fled to the backyard, and then to the side yard where he was contacted by members of the SWAT Team.

Upon contact, SWAT officers fired their weapons and struck the suspect. Afterwards, the suspect was evacuated from the side of the house due to the encroaching fire and immediately administered first-aid. Ultimately, the suspect succumbed to his wounds at the scene and was pronounced deceased by medical personnel.

Due to the circumstances surrounding this incident, the countywide Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident (LEIFI) protocol was initiated. Antioch Police Department’s Crime Scene Investigators and Detectives with the Investigations Bureau, along with a team of Deputy District Attorneys and Inspectors from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Sheriff’s Crime Scene Investigators responded to the scene and took over the investigation.

Additionally, in accordance with Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506, the California Department of Justice, is investigating this incident and will independently review the officer involved shooting. AB 1506: https://oag.ca.gov/ois-incidents.

• Antioch Police Says Suspect Fired 30 Rounds Before Setting House on Fire and Killed by SWAT Officers
• Antioch Mayor May Not Have Been Authorized to Enter or Photograph Active Crime Scene
• Updated: Antioch Standoff Ends With Suspect Killed, Home in Flames