Grover Beach police officer fatally shoots suspect who pointed a replica handgun at the officer
By: The Grover Beach Police Department has released video of a recent officer-involved shooting in which a 41-year-old man was killed.
The shooting happened on Saturday, May 25, at about 6:45 p.m.
The body-worn camera footage from an officer who responded to a 911 call from a resident who said a man was acting erratically, yelling and throwing rocks at cars in the area of Grand Avenue and 13th Street.
The video shows the officer arriving at the scene and making contact with the man, who says multiple times that he has a gun. In the video, the man advances toward the officer and points what appears to be a firearm at the officer. The officer then fires multiple rounds, striking the man, who then falls to the ground.
It was later determined that the man had a replica firearm in his possession.
The video also includes cell phone video taken by a citizen at a gas station across the street.
Police say the man was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He has been identified as Aaron Edward Gardner of Independence, Missouri.
Police say Gardner was unhoused and traveling through California. He reportedly had a criminal history in several states and, at the time of the shooting, had two warrants out for his arrest in Kansas and Texas.