Escalated fight leads to the death of a man in Red Bluff, neighbors react
Crime scene tape is something this neighborhood is all too familiar with recently.
Breaking news from red bluff where police late today shot a man they say threatened them with what appeared to be a rifle.
Action news now reporter esteban reynoso is live in red bluff where the shooting took place.
You spoke to the police chief tonight.
What did you find out?
Red bluff police chief kyle sanders says that man who was shot was walking around this neighborhood on gilmore rd in red bluff at around 3 this afternoon, with what police thought was an actual rifle, it turned out to be an air rifle designed to look like a realistic firearm.
Chief sanders says the man pointed what police believed at the time was a real rifle at officers, that's when officers drew their weapons demanding the man to put the rifle down, and when the man did not comply, police say two officers fired their weapons, hitting the man at least once.
It was discovered later the rifle was an air rifle and not a real rifle.
I asked police chief kyle sanders how difficult it is for officers to tell the difference between a real rifle and an air rifle.
"this weapon that the individual had turned out to be an air rifle that was a replica firearm looked very real.
Even to the touch i'm told.
Even when officers picked it up, they still believed it was real, until at which point, they removed the magazine and realized it shoots pellets."
Police say the man who was shot is a white male in his mid 30's and is in stable condition.
We are working to find out who the man involved is.
A neighbor shared with action news now these security camera images that show a heavy police presence at the time of the shooting.
When i spoke with neighbors around here, they tell me they heard officers ask the man to put the weapon down at least 3 times before opening fire.
Live in red bluff, esteban reynoso for action news now coverage you can count on.
The tehama county district attorney's office is conducting an investigation into the officer involved shooting.
The two officers who fired their weapons are on paid administrative leave
Crime scene tape is something this neighborhood is all too familiar with recently.