Man with Machete Killed by Deputies
Ventura – January 29
Moorpark resident Eric Strosser, 47, was shot and killed by Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies at approximately 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 28th when he confronted them armed with a machete held high.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Media Relations Officer Capt. Mike Aranda in a statement to the media following the incident, Deputies responded to a 911 Emergency call for assistance by the decedent’s father summoning help to the Strosser family home. “Our 911 dispatch personnel could hear someone loudly claiming to have a gun,” Aranda said.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Sergeant James Fryhoff, in addressing broadcast media cameras on the scene, indicated that Senior Deputies Kevin Lynch and Jerry Gomez arrived at the residence and were promptly met by Eric Strosser “acting in an aggressive manner.” Fryhoff reported that Strosser ran toward the deputies waving a machete, at which point Deputy Lynch fired his service pistol at Strosser from a range of approximately ten feet.
Ventura County paramedics responding pronounced Strosser dead at the scene.
The initial reports of Strosser possessing a handgun on the premises appear to have been without foundation, as no weapons were found at the home. Ventura County Superior Court records reveal that pursuant to an involuntary mental health commitment of Strosser in 2007, deputies had removed all guns from the residence.
Deputies Lynch and Gomez, 15- and 20-year department veterans of the Ventura County Sheriff’s SWAT team who had extensive training and experience dealing with mental health issues in criminal suspects, have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of further investigation.
Read More:
vcstar.com: Details released on fatal shooting by Moorpark deputy
KVTA: Moorpark Man Killed By Deputies Is Identified
