Bodycam of police-shooting outside Fresno store is released when responding to a disturbance
By: The Fresno Police Department released on Friday, body camera footage from an incident on Dec. 23, 2022, when an officer-involved shooting took place.
According to the police department, early morning on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, officers from the Fresno Police Department responded to a disturbance between a man and a woman at the 7-Eleven located in the 2300 block of South Chestnut Avenue.
Officials say the caller told the police that a woman was hiding inside the store after her boyfriend had assaulted her, and the attacker was driving around near the store. The girlfriend escaped the car without her boyfriend knowing and hid inside the store after asking employees and customers to call the police.
When officers arrived, they say saw a man in the driver’s seat of a car parked in a stall in front of the store.
Police say the driver was later identified as 37-year-old Michael Alvarez. Two officers approached the car and gave Alvarez repeated commands to turn off his vehicle and exit the car. A third officer positioned his patrol car behind the suspect’s vehicle.
Officials say he failed to follow the officers’ orders and abruptly put his car in reverse, backed up, and struck one of the officers as she stood next to the driver-side door. The second officer was also nearly struck by Alvarez’s vehicle and collided with the third officer’s patrol car while the officer was still seated inside.
The official report shows the third officer exited his patrol car and gave additional commands to Alvarez to stop, but he failed to comply again and drove his vehicle forward toward the other two officers and the store where customers were inside.
Police say Alvarez reversed again, driving towards the third officer. The third officer discharged his firearm, striking him once. He drove forward and struck a parked car that was occupied by a driver who was two months pregnant at the moment.
Officers say they were able to remove Alvarez from his vehicle and immediately began to render medical aid. The suspect was transported to the hospital in what they listed as critical but stable condition.