2 weeks ago
12
FRESNO, CALIF. (KSEE/KGPE) - What began arsenic a home unit telephone successful Fresno Saturday day escalated into an hours-long standoff, during which Fresno Police accidental they shot and killed a man when helium tried to stab them.
Just earlier 2 p.m. connected Saturday, a pistillate told constabulary she and her babe escaped their flat aft her boyfriend, 35-year-old Joseph Merical, strangled her until she mislaid consciousness. When Fresno Police arrived astatine the 4100 artifact of North Blythe Avenue, they attempted to interaction Merical, who was inactive inside.
"They'd received a cardinal and attempted to summation entry, but the doorway was being blocked," said Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto.
Chief Casto says erstwhile constabulary tried to enter, the 35-year-old attempted to stab an officer.
"So the officers repositioned themselves and held containment connected the flat until SWAT could beryllium called out," she explained.
Fresno Police accidental Merical was assertive and insisted helium would not spell backmost to prison, arsenic helium was connected parole for home violence.
After a multi-hour standoff, with officers attempting respective methods of communication, Casto says for a 2nd time, helium tried to harm officers with 2 ample room knives.
"At which clip they deployed little lethal munitions, that was not successful," she said.
Leading officers to sprout Merical successful the flat parking lot.
He was taken to the infirmary successful captious information and underwent surgery. Sunday afternoon, Fresno PD announced that helium died.
YourCentralValley reached retired to the section for further questions, like however galore times they changeable him and where. They declined to remark beyond the property release, saying it's an 'ongoing investigation.'
Ashlee Wolf, Marjaree Mason's Director of Philanthropy and Communication, hopes this incidental tin rise consciousness not lone astir home violence, but specifically the dangers of strangulation, which Casto calls the astir superior signifier of home violence.
"If idiosyncratic is threatening to termination you, it is precise apt that they volition 1 day," Wolfe shared.
She says erstwhile abusers are threatened with losing powerfulness oregon control, they'll bash thing to get it back.
"And unfortunately, that's what we saw successful past night's situation," Wolfe observed.
The Marjaree Mason Center serves implicit 8,000 home unit victims each year. They tin link you with exigency shelter, ineligible advocacy, restraining orders, and overmuch more.
If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize needs help, you tin telephone their 24-hour hotline, 559-233-4357. Or you tin interaction the National Domestic Violence Hotline astatine 800-799-7233.
