Man shot and killed by Riverside County deputies in Moreno Valley
Riverside County deputies fatally shot a man in Moreno Valley on Monday.
Units were dispatched to the 25400 block of Filaree Avenue sometime before 1:30 p.m., when Riverside County Sheriff's Department tweeted that a shooting involving deputies had occurred.
Family members at the scene have said that the suspect, whom they identified as 33-year-old Jesus "Tony" Rodriguez, was schizophrenic and in the midst of a mental health crisis, which prompted them to contact law enforcement as he had become increasingly agitated.
They informed deputies that Rodriguez was going through the crisis, and that he was armed with a BB gun.
"We've called lots of times," said Isabelle Rodriguez, Tony's sister. "I've called too and they've never done something like this."
Upon arrival, deputies "took everybody out like they normally do, then she heard the gunshots," Isabelle said. "Obviously he passed. There's no reason, they could've tased him."
Deputies, however, allege that they did everything in their power to deescalate the situation, including utilization of a taser, but Rodriguez was noncompliant with their orders.
"Deputies attempted to deescalate the situation, but he continued being aggressive and uncooperative," a written statement from LASD said. "Rodriguez grabbed a baseball bat with sharp metal spikes on the end. Deputies deployed a taser twice, but it was ineffective. Rodriguez advanced towards the deputies and a deputy-involved shooting occurred."
Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene.
They family says that deputies were well-aware of the fact that the man was schizophrenic, and that if they never would have called 911 if they thought it was possible he'd be killed.
"You could have shot him in the leg, you could have shot him somewhere else," Isabelle said. "Why did you have to shoot to kill?"
Deputies say that they were also told by family that Rodriguez was under the influence of an unknown substance and that he had been acting more aggressively.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
