State prosecutors are calling an officer-involved shooting in Santa Barbara County which left a bystander dead, tragic. But, they say their investigation shows there is no evidence to support prosecution of the policeman involved.
The shooting happened in August of 2021. Two Guadalupe Police officers saw a wanted man, who fled from them. Investigators say during a foot pursuit, the man held out his arm, and appeared to have a gun. It was also nighttime. It turned out the man was carrying a black butane torch.
One of the officers fired three shots. The fleeing suspect ducked, but one of the bullets hit the ground, and apparently ricocheted more than 170 feet. It struck a man sitting in a car. Juan Luis Olvera-Preciado died at the scene.
The California Department of Justice conducted an investigation into the death. It concluded the firing of the weapon was justified, because the officer was acting in self-defense.
The report said there is no evidence of criminal intent by the officer. But, it does call for the Guadalupe Police Department to make more than a half-dozen policy changes as a result of the incident.
