A man was shot and killed by Tulare County sheriff’s deputies during a welfare check Tuesday morning in what marks the second fatal deputy‑involved shooting in as many months.
Deputies were called to the 400 Block of Matheny Road in Tulare following reports of a possible fight and to conduct a welfare check, officials said. When they arrived, deputies encountered a man inside the home who refused to come out.
The man later ran out the back door, “pointing something” at deputies, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Ashley Ritchie. Believing he was armed, deputies opened fire.
The object was later found to be a black cell phone, Ritchie stated in a news release.
The man was shot and died at the scene. The man’s identity has not been released.
Ritchie said Sheriff Mike Boudreaux requested assistance from the Tulare Police Department and the California Department of Justice to ensure a “thorough and transparent” investigation.
“The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office is committed to transparency and will provide updates as more information becomes available,” Ritchie stated.
In April, David Morales, 59, was killed by deputies after he opened fire on law enforcement attempting to serve an eviction notice.
The incident started just after 10 a.m. on April 9, when the Tulare County deputies showed up in the area of Newcomb Street and Grand Avenue in Porterville to serve that eviction on Morales. Authorities say Morales opened fire on them, striking Deputy Randy Hoppert.
Hoppert was rushed to a hospital, where he died from his injuries. He was a six-year veteran of the force and a Navy corpsman who served from 2010 to 2015. He was 35 years old.
After the shooting, Morales was able to escape through a window. Dressed in camouflage and armed with a long rifled, he hid in the brush and eluded officers. The sheriff announced he had been run over by the SWAT vehicle just before 6 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Man fatally shot by deputies in Tulare after phone mistaken for gun
Reporting by Sheyanne N Romero, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
