A man who was fatally fatally shot when he allegedly brandished a handgun during a confrontation with a Banning police officer Saturday evening has been identified by the coroner as city resident Richard Rodriguez, 32.
Sgt. Jeff Buompensiero of the sheriff's Central Homicide released the following info about the incident on Sunday:
On Saturday, October 26, 2013, at 7:26 P.M. an officer from the Banning Police Department responded to a motel located on the 3000 block of W. Ramsey Street, in the city of Banning, after receiving a suspicious person call at the location.
A hotel employee reported to their dispatch center that a male adult, who was not a patron of the hotel, was knocking on hotel room doors looking for a female, making patrons of the hotel feel uncomfortable.
The officer arrived at the hotel within minutes and contacted the subject as the officer was exiting the hotel elevator.
The officer attempted to ascertain what the subject was doing at the hotel and the subject attempted to run away from the officer.
A physical confrontation occurred between the officer and the subject.
During the altercation, the subject brandished a handgun and an officer involved shooting occurred. The officer immediately summoned an ambulance, but the subject succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The Banning Police Department requested the sheriff's Central Homicide Unit to conduct the investigation.
The officer involved in the shooting is an 18-year law enforcement veteran, Buompensiero said. The officer is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
For a previous report on the confrontation and shooting see:
Man Killed by Police Officer After Early Morning Confrontation at Banning Hotel
Anyone with more info was urged to contact Investigator Loureiro of the Central Homicide Unit at (760) 393-3500.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
