Bodycam video shows moment Fresno PD shoot and kill domestic violence suspect

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Police Department has released edited body-worn camera footage from an August 23 incidental that ended with officers fatally shooting a antheral pursuing a home unit call.

The video begins with a 911 telephone placed astir 1:45 p.m.

"My hubby was hitting me. He tried to termination me," the caller told dispatchers.

Police accidental the telephone came from an flat analyzable adjacent Blythe Avenue and Austin Way.

The pistillate reported her husband, 41-year-old Joseph Merical, had strangled her earlier she escaped with their baby.

She besides warned officers helium mightiness harm himself and could beryllium equipped with a knife.

EXCLUSIVE: Widow of antheral killed by Fresno Police shares her communicative of survival

When officers arrived, they recovered Merical had barricaded himself wrong the apartment.

For astir 90 minutes, constabulary accidental they tried to pass with him without success. Officers yet broke a room model and rammed the beforehand door.

Bodycam video shows Merical lasting connected a couch, blocking the doorway with a weapon successful hand.

SWAT officers and situation negotiators were called in, but Merical refused to surrender.

Just aft 8 p.m., constabulary accidental Merical opened the doorway and rapidly walked down the stairs holding a weapon successful each hand, moving toward officers adjacent the carports.

Officers archetypal deployed less-lethal rounds, but erstwhile Merical continued advancing, 2 officers fired their rifles.

Merical was fixed aesculapian assistance astatine the country but aboriginal died astatine the hospital.

Joseph's wife, Gisela Gonzalez Merical, spoke exclusively to Action News, saying the merchandise of the video has acceptable her backmost successful the grieving process.

"It's conscionable reigniting each those wounds and reopening them, it's 2 steps back," says Gonzalez Merical.

Since the traumatic day, the household has laid Merical to rest, and Gisela and her girl person been successful therapy.

Gisela says she understands the request for transparency and was horrified by her husband's actions, but fears the images of his last moments could go a nationalist spectacle.

"While it's mean for humans to person curiosity to similar ohio my gosh what happened, and ignite curiosity, I conscionable similar it to beryllium a reminder that's besides someone's begetter and that's besides his past moments that's idiosyncratic losing humor and by the 2nd their last breaths," says Gonzalez Merical.

She added that her hubby struggled with intelligence wellness issues and had sought assistance earlier the incident.

Meantime, constabulary accidental their probe remains ongoing and nary 1 other was physically wounded during this incident.

If you are the unfortunate of home abuse, oregon you cognize idiosyncratic who is, determination is assistance disposable 24/7. In Fresno County, telephone the Marjaree Mason Center astatine (559) 233-4357. In each different locations, telephone the National Domestic Violence Hotline astatine (800) 799-7233.

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