Fresno Police release bodycam video of officer involved shooting near the Meux Home Museum

Fresno Police Department officials have released bodycam footage from an officer-involved shooting incident near the Meux Home Museum that left one dead in January.

On Jan. 13, officers were called to the Meux Home Museum near R and Tulare streets just after 12:00 p.m. following reports of someone pacing frantically outside.

Upon arrival, police say they found multiple windows broken, the front door of the museum open and the suspect, later identified as Edgar Morfin Mendoza, 26, inside the building.

In the video, two officers can be heard telling Mendoza to “lay down” and to “get on the ground.” One officer can be heard in the video telling Mendoza that they’re going to tase him if he doesn’t comply.

According to police, Mendoza then “threw a punch” at one of the officers, resulting in that officer deploying his taser.

In the video, Mendoza is seen pulling the prongs out of his body before grabbing a hammer on the bench next to him and then running at officers with the hammer raised.

Officers can be heard in the video telling Mendoza to drop the hammer before multiple rounds are fired at him.

Authorities say Mendoza was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Fresno Police Department officials say the release of the bodycam footage is “a matter of accountability,” and that, “our goal with critical incident videos is to be transparent with our community and share as much information as we can, and in accordance with the law, as soon as possible after a critical incident occurs.”

Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama released the following statement on Friday regarding the officer-involved shooting:

“When our officers respond to calls for service in the community, the intentions and motivations of the parties involved are ever truly knonw. The daily enounters our officers make can escalate in the blink of an eye, forcing them into split-second decisions. Our officers’ number one priority is the protection of life, all life. Sadly, some incidents put our officers in a position to have to use deadly force. Your police department diligently trains and prepares its officers for these types of encounters so they may defend themselves and the community they proudly serve.”
-FRESNO POLICE CHIEF PACO BALDERRAMA

According to police, the findings of this investigation will be handed over to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, Internal Affairs and the Office of Independent Review.
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