SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — A mother is grieving and hopes to see her son's body soon after he, a K-9 officer, and a Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy were killed in a shootout in mid-January.
The shooting, which occurred on the night of Jan. 18 at Cal Expo, began when Robert Stephen Calderon, 46, led sheriff's deputies on a pursuit from a nearby business and through the complex. Deputies initially approached the car because it had matched the description of a vehicle connected to a series of vehicle thefts, according to a newly released video from the Sheriff's office.
Jenny Calderon, the suspect's mother, said that in her opinion, the video introduces doubt about exactly what happened.
As officers approached Calderon, police say he fired nine shots before deputies returned fire.
"He did fire 9 shots and maybe one of them had hit the officer, I don’t know," Jenny said.
The shooting claimed the lives of Calderon as well as Deputy Adam Gibson, a six-year veteran of the sheriff's office, and K-9 Riley, an officer of three years with the agency. Gibson leaves behind his wife Rachel Gibson, a 9-month-old child, his parents Doug and Sandee Gibson and several siblings. Gibson joined the agency in 2014, after serving in the United States Marine Corps, completing two tours in Afghanistan. Deputy Gibson received the Sheriff’s Office Bronze Star for Bravery and a Major Incident Ribbon in 2018.
A nearly 12-minute video summary of the chase turned shooting was released by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office Wednesday.
"Please note, we do not draw any conclusions based solely on upon this video as to whether or not our employee acted within policy or state law," said Captain Lisa Gayman from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.
Jenny said her son was addicted to drugs and likely afraid of going back to prison and that despite his faults, he wasn't a bad person. She said her heart breaks for Gibson's widow and the baby he leaves behind.
"[Robert] wouldn't wish that on anybody," Jenny said . "Nobody should grow up without a father in his opinion."
She said she wishes protocol would have allowed more time for her son to surrender without any lives lost.
Jenny says she wishes to see a full investigation and to see her son's body. She says she has been told she cannot see her son's body until after he is cremated.
The investigation into the shooting, which will be conducted by the Sheriff's Professional Standards Division, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County District Attorney's office, and the Inspector General, is in its early stages.
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