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The suspect in custody for the killing of a Selma police officer is well known to the court system.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office arrested Nathaniel Michael Dixon, 23 of Selma, and charged him with murder, three firearms counts, and one count of violating probation.
He is accused of shooting and killing Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr. on Tuesday.
The convicted felon is being held without bail because he is on probation. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
A review of court documents shows he has been in the system several times over the past four years.
Released from Jail in 2022
Between 2019 and 2020, Dixon faced four separate court cases, for trespassing, drug charges, possessing a dirk or dagger, and second-degree robbery.
In July 2020, he pleaded no contest to the robbery charge, with the others dismissed. He was sentenced to three years probation by Judge Michael Idiart.
Dixon returned to court twice just a month later, in August 2020, on possession of a firearm and controlled substance charges. The cases were consolidated in court.
The court docket shows that Dixon pleaded no contest to two counts: possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was given a combined sentence of five years, four months on March 7, 2022, by Judge Samuel Dalesandro.
Dixon was granted probation in September, but it was revoked a month later because he failed to meet with the probation department. His probation terms were reinstated in November.
Local Law Enforcement Blames Newsom
Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp blasted state leaders in a statement Tuesday evening. She blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of the state Legislature allowing “time credits” to shorten sentences “in an effort to reduce the state prison population to reach their goals of closing more prison facilities.”
“Today, Governor Gavin Newsom, and every legislator in the state of California who supports this over-reaching phenomenon they try to disguise as legitimate criminal justice reform, has the blood of this officer on their hands,” Smittcamp said.
Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni made similar statements earlier in the day.