COACHELLA – A Coachella police officer shot a suspect who invaded a home and then attacked her when she arrived on the scene.
On Christmas day at approximately 11:30 AM, the Coachella Police Department received a call that there was a suspicious person in the 83-600 block of Shadowrock Drive, Coachella. The caller reported that a stranger had entered the residence and attacked the homeowner without provocation. An officer was dispatched to scene.
The suspect left the home and when the officer arrived, she discovered a man matching the description of the suspect in the road outside of the home. The officer commanded the suspect to stop, but the man refused to comply. Taking a fighting stance, the suspect moved toward the officer in a threatening manner. The officer continued to order the suspect to stop, but he continued to approach aggressively. Brandishing her baton, the officer defended herself, but the suspect attempted to take the baton away. In the ensuing struggle, the officer shot the suspect.
Following the shooting, backup officers immediately arrived on scene. Life-saving measures were employed to assist the suspect who was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. No officers were injured during the incident. The suspect was later identified as Omar Rodriguez, age 35 of Coachella.
The investigation into this crime and the shooting are currently underway. The involved officer has been placed on administrative leave per department policy.
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