Man Killed by Fresno Police on Saturday at Southwest Station Identified

The Fresno Police Department identified Coy Brent Jackson, 33, on Monday as the man shot to death by officers on Saturday night.

Coy Brent Jackson, 33, was shot by Fresno police on Saturday, March 18, 2023, after refusing to drop a knife, authorities said. (Fresno PD)

According to police, Jackson held a 7-inch fixed-blade knife when he encountered two officers in a shopping center at Fresno and C Streets that includes a police station.

A sergeant from the police station joined the officers in trying to get Jackson to put the knife down, but their de-escalation attempts failed. When Jackson advanced toward the officers, they shot him, the department said in a news release Sunday.

Jackson received life-saving measures immediately after he was shot. However, he was pronounced dead at Community Regional Medical Center.

All three officers have been placed on administrative leave while an investigation into the shooting is conducted.

“Although it is early in the investigation, it is probable the deceased person was suffering from mental health issues. The loss of life is always a tragedy, but even more so when persons suffering from mental illness are unable to get assistance for their condition,” Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said in a news release.

“This puts them, the public, and the police in danger when confronted by an unresponsive, desperate person, who in this case was armed with a knife and advanced at officers. As a state and a community, we must do better.”

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office and the city’s Office of Independent Review are investigating the shooting.

DOJ Investigating Previous Police Shooting Death

The California Department of Justice is investigating the shooting death of a suspect by Fresno police earlier this month at Herndon and Ingram avenues.