DA’s office finds Salinas officers acted in self-defense during police shooting
The District Attorney’s Office announced that no charges will be filed against police officers involved in a deadly March 1 shooting in Salinas.
20-year-old Brenda Rodriguez Mendoza was shot and killed by officers after a standoff on East Laurel Drive. It started with a report of a disturbance involving weapons. Rodriguez Mendoza barricaded herself in a car, and after an hours-long standoff, officers opened fire. She died at the scene.
“I think that they could’ve used another method, like gas her and arrest her when she was out, not have to shoot her,” said Max, a Salinas resident who lives around the area where the shooting happened.
In April, the DA’s Office released body cam footage showing more than 30 minutes leading up to the shooting. The video shows three separate times Mendoza raised what turned out to be a BB gun. The third time Mendoza raised and pointed the gun at officers, they felt they had no choice but to fire ultimately killing her.
In a letter to the Salinas police chief Thursday, the DA’s office wrote that the officers visibly flinched in the body cam footage.
“Right immediately prior to the officers discharging their firearms at her, she had pointed that realistic looking firearm directly at them,” said Christopher Knight, the managing deputy district attorney.
The DA’s Office investigated the incident and found that the officers involved acted in defense of others and self-defense. The office said officers can use deadly force if the person reasonably believes the immediate use of deadly force is needed to defend against danger of great bodily injury or death. The danger does not need to have actually existed as long as the person reasonably believed the danger existed.
“Maybe they were right in doing it because she lifted the gun, but I think the police could’ve done something different,” said Max.
During the standoff Rodriguez Mendoza’s boyfriend told officers the gun she had was a BB gun, but officers said in the moment it looked to be real. In the body cam footage the hostage negotiator and other officers can be heard pleading for Rodriguez Mendoza to put the gun down.
Rodriguez Mendoza’s mother said in a statement, “This is injustice. They had no right to shoot at my daughter… I am going to fight for justice… I will be speaking to my lawyer, and based on what he says, I will act.”
Police said they were unable to use non-lethal methods like a taser, K9 or rubber bullets. The DA’s office said their role is not to evaluate police tactics, but to decide if they broke the law when deciding to open fire.
To read the District Attorney’s Office’s letter to Salinas Police Chief Adele Frese:
