See Heart-Stopping Life & Death Situation Faced by Napa Deputy

By gvwire

Published 6 years ago on

February 21, 2019

Warning: This post contains graphic video content and is not suitable for children.
This body worn camera footage provided by the Napa County Sheriff’s Office depicts the attempted murder of Deputy Riley Jarecki on a rural road Feb. 17, 2019.

“It’s been a difficult couple of days but we’re so thankful. I’m so thankful she got right on her radio, did exactly what she was trained to do, and we’re proud of her not giving up and fighting to the end.” — Napa County Sheriff John Robertson

The decedent, Javier Hernandez Morales, fired the first shots. Deputy Jarecki returned fire. She was not physically injured. Morales died at the scene.

The Moments Before the Suspect Shot at Deputy

Morales was sitting in a Honda sedan facing the wrong way on a road about two miles southwest of Napa when the deputy drove by.
He cooperated initially when Jarecki talked to him.
“Roll down the window, roll down the window,” she said, which he did. Then he swung his right hand toward her and fired a 22-caliber revolver.
Jarecki jumped back and alerted dispatch: “Shots fired, shots fired.”
Then deputy unloaded her weapon into the car and killed Morales.

Sheriff: Her Training Kicked In

“It’s been a difficult couple of days but we’re so thankful,” Napa County Sheriff John Robertson told KTVU television. “I’m so thankful she got right on her radio, did exactly what she was trained to do, and we’re proud of her not giving up and fighting to the end.
“You never know what you’re going to encounter. What you’re going to have to deal with, and how that night is going to end.”

More About the Deputy

KTVU reported that Jarecki has been with the sheriff’s office for about six months. She is a former Calistoga police officer and the third-generation in her family to serve in law enforcement. Her grandfather served with the Napa Police Department and her father is a Napa sheriff’s sergeant.