STOCKTON, Calif. — Five Stockton Police Department officers are on a 4-day paid administrative leave after allegedly killing a suspect armed with a gun and body armor Tuesday.
The deadly shooting happened in the parking lot of a Stockton gas station in the 3300 block of Hammer Lane, just west of I-5 Tuesday morning.
At 4:17 a.m., a man called 911 to report a suspect, later identified as 33-year-old Rico Ruiz-Altamirano, threatened him with a handgun, according to police.
Soon after, officers said Ruiz-Altamirano called police himself, stating he was armed with a gun. He then allegedly showed his gun to an employee at a nearby store and threatened to take the employee hostage.
When officers got to the parking lot, they found Ruiz-Altamirano outside, armed with a gun and wearing body armor. Crisis negotiators responded to the scene and began talking to Ruiz-Altamirano, attempting to get him to put the gun down.
According to police, at one point, Ruiz-Altamirano took off his body armor and told officers to take his life as he was holding onto his gun.
A driver drove into the parking lot, which is when Ruiz-Altamirano allegedly walked to the car and pointed his handgun at the driver.
Five Stockton Police Department officers opened fire, striking Ruiz-Altamirano, who was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers said they attempted to perform live-saving measures.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations, the California Department of Justice and the San Joaquin County Medical Examiner’s Office are looking into the case as part of a Multi-Agency Critical Incident Investigation.
At the scene, investigators recovered the suspect's loaded 40-caliber handgun and body armor, according to a Facebook post by the Stockton Police Department.
Those with information on the investigation are asked to call the Stockton Police Department at 209-937-8377.
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