Fresno sheriff’s deputies shoot, kill armed man

FRESNO – A 58-year-old Fresno man died on Saturday after two veteran Fresno County sheriff’s deputies shot and killed him.

Deputies were responding to a call made by a man who said that his son, Richard Rodriguez, was suicidal and carrying a rifle, according to Sheriff Margaret Mims. The confrontation between the deputies and Rodriguez lead to the deadly shooting.

This was the second time that day that officers had responded to a call at the house on Brawley and Jensen avenues. At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, deputies were called to the house with a report that two brothers were fighting. Family members told the deputies that the two men had a physical altercation.

“Neither one of them wanted to press charges against the others and the deputies left,” Mims said.

An hour and a half later, deputies received a second call from the house from the two men’s father. He said that one of his sons was armed with a .22 caliber rifle and talking about committing suicide.

Several deputies responded to the call. They parked at a distance and walked toward the house.

“When they got to the house, they did in fact contact the suspect in this particular case,” Mims said. “There were gun shots fired. The suspect was hit.”

Mims said that she did not know whether Rodriguez had fired any shots, but shots were fired both inside and outside the house. Two deputies fired their weapons, she said.

Rodriguez was taken to Community Medical Center where he later died. No one else was injured at the scene.

The deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave and are being interviewed by investigators.