SBPD provide details in officer involved shooting

The San Bernardino Police Department issued a statement of facts in a Facebook post following the officer involved shooting of a 13 year old last week.

According to the post by the department on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at approximately 1:52 p.m., the San Bernardino Police Department dispatch center received a call from a 13 year old suspect who reported that he had just killed three people. The suspect was calling from Pioneer cemetery located at 211 E. 9th Street in the City of San Bernardino.

While the suspect was on the phone he told the dispatcher “if they don’t kill me, I’ll have to kill them,” referring to the officers who were responding to the scene. During the phone call the dispatcher heard the suspect fire multiple shots from a gun. There were several uninvolved bystanders in the cemetery at the time the suspect fired the shots, and their safety was jeopardized by the suspect’s actions.

Upon arriving on the scene officers located the caller who was indeed armed with a handgun with an extended magazine.  Officers formed a perimeter around the cemetery to contain the suspect and protect the public. According to the post as they prepared to make contact with the suspect he apparently fired another shot from his weapon.

The post then went on to state, “Despite the suspect’s provocation, the officers maintained containment for an extended period of time and continued their efforts to end the incident peacefully by establishing dialogue. Although officers gave numerous commands to drop the gun the suspect failed to comply. Ultimately the suspect escalated the confrontation when he pointed a gun at officers, resulting in an officer involved shooting.”

The boy was struck and then transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries.  The claim that he had killed 3 people was apparently false although the police department investigation did find additional weapons and ammunition that could have led to a long standoff and more deaths and or injuries.

The suspect’s motive is unknown.