5 days ago
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TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Reedley Police say 43-year-old Michael Rocha killed his woman Saturday nighttime astatine a household gathering and took off. On Sunday, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office located his conveyance successful the Woodlake area, wherever helium led deputies connected a pursuit before a deadly standoff.
"He got into a weapon battle, and helium beauteous overmuch got what helium deserved," said Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
Multiple roads adjacent Road 222 and Avenue 340 volition beryllium blocked disconnected passim the nighttime into aboriginal greeting arsenic the Visalia Police Department investigates the officer-involved shooting that happened aft 1 p.m.
Rocha led the Tulare County Sheriff's Office connected a pursuit done the Woodlake area.
"Shots were fired retired the model astatine pursuing deputies," Sheriff Boudreaux explained.
Rocha yet came to a stop and started firing astatine deputies. Dozens of shots rang out, and 4 deputies returned fire.
The 43-year-old was pronounced dead. No officers were injured. After searching his vehicle, officials recovered different weapon inside.
"In this situation, helium asked for, our officers didn't travel retired present seeking to sprout him," Boudreaux added.
Saturday evening, Reedley Police say Rocha changeable and killed his wife at a household gathering. She was sitting successful a car extracurricular the residence adjacent Frankwood and Parlier Avenues when constabulary accidental helium walked up to the conveyance and fired implicit 10 rounds.
"She was struck aggregate times," said Reedley Police Chief Mark Ediger.
Rocha took off. Chief Ediger says respective household members tried to travel aft him. But they and the constabulary mislaid him.
Ediger says helium doesn't cognize what led up to the shooting. The mates was joined for implicit 25 years, but precocious separated successful August.
"This mates had a 20-year-old son, 23-year-old girl who are without some of their parents wrong a substance of 24 hours. Just tragic, precise horrific," Ediger said.
Chief Ediger urges the assemblage that if you're going done a separation oregon are a unfortunate of home violence, you are not alone; there are resources available. If you cognize idiosyncratic is armed, helium says to interaction instrumentality enforcement earlier it's excessively late.
