Body cam shows Fresno officer shot in the vest, suspect killed, during shootout after a police chase
By: The Fresno Police Department released the bodycam video on Friday of a deadly officer-involved shooting – where police say officers exchanged gunfire with a suspect on March 4.
Fresno Police say on Saturday, March 4, at 4:55 p.m., officers from the Fresno Police Department attempted to make a traffic stop at Fresno Street and Shaw Avenue. According to officials, the driver of the vehicle, identified by police as 29-year-old Robert Corchado, who police say was wanted on several outstanding felony warrants, including one for felony evading.
Police say Corchado failed to yield to the officers and sped toward Highway 41. The officers initiated a pursuit but discontinued the pursuit when Corchado drove the wrong way onto the Highway 41 ramp.
Corchado was subsequently located by a Fresno Police air unit and was observed driving at a high rate of speed, failing to stop at several intersections and nearly causing a traffic collision with another motorist.
As a result, police say a sergeant determined that Corchado posed a danger to the public and requested officers to re-initiate the pursuit and authorized a PIT (Pursuit Immobilization Technique) maneuver if Corchado did not yield. When Corchado did not yield, a PIT maneuver was performed – disabling Corchado’s vehicle.
Before officers could exit their patrol car, police say Corchado fired multiple rounds from a handgun toward the officers, and both officers returned fire. In the exchange of gunfire, one of the rounds fired by Corchado struck an officer in the chest. The round was stopped by the officer’s ballistic vest.
According to police, Corchado, who had just repeatedly fired at officers and was potentially armed, began running towards a nearby occupied vehicle that had pulled to the side of the road.
Officers say they gave Corchado commands to stop as he neared the uninvolved motorist’s car, but he did not comply. An officer fired his weapon, striking Corchado where he later died.
The officer says he discarded a 9 mm handgun near his vehicle after the exchange of gunfire with officers. There was one live round in the chamber, and the magazine was empty, according to police.
Shell casings from the handgun that Corchado fired at officers were located inside his vehicle. .22 caliber rifle was located between the driver and passenger seats of Corchado’s vehicle.
Detectives say they located three rounds fired by Corchado that struck the officer’s patrol car.
According to police, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, Internal Affairs, and the Office of Independent Review are investigating the incident. The California Department of Justice, with full cooperation from the Fresno Police Department, is conducting an independent review of this incident as well.