Salinas OIS suspect sentenced

UPDATE: 2/14/09: The man involved in a Salinas officer-involved shooting pleaded guilty to two counts of Brandishing a Replica Gun, and two counts of Shoplifting.

On February 1, 2019, officials say a Safeway grocery store employee caught Guadalupe Espinoza stealing a shopping cart full of alcohol. After restocking the merchandise, the employee noticed Espinoza staring at him from outside the store. When the employee approached to ask him to leave, Espinoza drew a gun from his waistband and started walking away. A patron on his way into the store also observed the gun in Espinoza’s hand and feared he would start shooting. Believing the gun was real, the patron called 911. Before Espinoza left the store, surveillance video showed he also shoplifted a bag of chips.

The Salinas Police Department responded and spent several minutes ordering Espinoza in both English and Spanish to get on the ground near the Safeway. The standoff ended when Espinoza suddenly drew the firearm and officers opened fire and shot Espinoza.

Upon closer inspection, police determined Espinoza’s gun was in fact a realistic-looking airsoft gun. Furthermore, during a search of Espinoza’s property, police found approximately four grams of methamphetamine.

At sentencing, Espinoza was placed on probation for three years and ordered to serve 120 days in the county jail. The terms of his probation include orders to stay away from the location where the incident occurred, and to not use or possess weapons, alcohol, or drugs.

UPDATE: 02/08/19 6:00 p.m. The Salinas Police Department and Monterey County District Attorney’s office released body camera video of a shooting at a grocery store parking lot where officers responded to reports of a man with a gun.

Guadalupe Aguirre Espinoza was accused of brandishing a firearm inside the Safeway off Constitution Boulevard Friday evening, Feb. 1. Police confronted Espinoza in the parking lot minutes later.The firearm was later found to be fake.

SPD spokesperson Officer Miguel Cabrera told KION that Espinoza wasn’t cooperating, and appeared to be reaching for something – that is when officers fired, because of previous reports that he was armed.

In the body camera footage multiple officers can be heard pleading with Espinoza to get on the ground and not reach for his weapon in Spanish.

One saying, “Guadalupe get down on the ground we don’t want to hurt you.”

They tell Espinoza to lie down or get on the ground more than two dozen times in the 11 minutes leading up to the shooting.

Before officers opened fire you can see from several of the video’s released, Espinoza pulls out the weapon from his waistband. Then is met with gunfire.

The officers fired 32 rounds total, four of those were rubber bullets. The suspect was hit three times.

SPD said none of the officers were injured. Espinoza was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He has since been booked into the Monterey County Jail.

The DA’s office says it was also found Espinoza had a blood alcohol level much higher than the legal limit, “he had a blood alcohol level of .14 and toxicology report is still pending. He was subsequently charged with 2 counts of brandishing a replica firearm two counts of shoplifting and one count of possession of a controlled substance to with methamphetamine,” says Jeannine Pacioni.

“Per Department protocol, the Monterey County DA Investigators assumed responsibility for the investigation. There were people at the scene who witnessed the events and are cooperating with DA investigators. All seven officers were wearing body cameras and the video has been preserved as evidence as part of the DA Investigation,” said SPD.

Espinoza is expect in court Februrary 13th.

PREVIOUS STORY:

The Salinas Police Department released body camera video of a shooting at a grocery store parking lot where officers responded to reports of a man with a gun.

Guadalupe Aguirre Espinoza was accused of brandishing a replica firearm inside the Safeway off Constitution Boulevard Friday evening, Feb. 1. Police confronted Espinoza in the parking lot.

SPD spokesperson Officer Miguel Cabrera told KION that Espinoza wasn’t cooperating, and appeared to be reaching for something – that is when officers fired, because of previous reports that he was armed. It was later determined the gun was a fake.

The officers involved have been identified as:

Officer Evan Adams with 5 years law enforcement experience.

Officer Eduardo Bejarano with 1.5 years law enforcement experience.
Officer Francisco DeLeon with 3.5 years law enforcement experience.
Officer Chayene Garcia with 9 years law enforcement experience.
Officer Mario Reyes with 12 years law enforcement experience.
Officer Cameron Mitchell with 4 years law enforcement experience.
Sgt. Jeffrey Ramsden with 17 years law enforcement experience.

SPD said none of the officers were injured. Espinoza was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He has since been booked into the Monterey County Jail.

“Per Department protocol, the Monterey County DA Investigators assumed responsibility for the investigation. There were people at the scene who witnessed the events and are cooperating with DA investigators. All seven officers were wearing body cameras and the video has been preserved as evidence as part of the DA Investigation,” said SPD.

KION’s Ashley Keehn will have the latest details at 5 and 6 p.m.