Fresno police officers shot and killed a 32-year-old parolee after he ignored repeated requests by police to drop a loaded rifle, authorities said.
Six officers with the Fresno Police Department fired at the man on Sunday night, The Fresno Bee reported. It was not clear how many shots hit him or if the parolee fired his weapon.
The encounter started with a report around 9:30 p.m. Sunday that a man was attempting to carjack a black Mercedes; the driver managed to drive away and called police, said Fresno Deputy Chief Pat Farmer.
Farmer said the suspect somehow got a rifle off of a resident and began walking down the street. He broke the window of a home and climbed into an unlocked car, but then got out, Farmer said. Police say he broke into another car but moments later fled to a backyard where he covered himself in what appeared to be either a blanket or table cloth.
The suspect appeared unfazed by officers firing bullets and bean bags at him, and it’s not clear if the bullets struck him.
It Was the Second Shooting Involving Fresno Police in Two Days
Farmer said the suspect tried to break into a police vehicle, but gave up. He said officers pleaded with the man to drop the rifle, but he refused. Officers opened fire, striking the man and he was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The suspect, later identified by police as Gregory Putnik, had multiple warrants from different states and was listed as an armed and dangerous felon, the Bee reported. He was also listed as a parolee at large out of Springfield, Illinois, with a primary violation of assault on a police officer.
It was the second shooting involving Fresno police in two days.
On Saturday, four officers fired on Miguel Carranza, 22, after he failed to heed warnings to drop a kitchen knife. Carranza had said he killed his mother during a 911 call in which he also said he was suicidal. He is expected to live.
