AnonymousBy the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office has completed its review of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office (“SBSO”) investigation into the non-fatal shooting of Rudy Angel Delgadillo, age 24, occurring on February 23, 2022, in the County of Santa Barbara, California.
The following analysis is based upon investigative reports, video and audio recordings, photographs, and witness interviews taken during the investigation and submitted to this office by SBSO Detective Daniel Kohli.
The District Attorney finds the shooting by Deputies Ross VanTassel and Yeshella Jimenez was a justified use of force – pursuant to Penal Code section 835a, and they bear no state criminal liability.
FACTUAL HISTORY
Summary
On February 23, 2022, at approximately 1:30 pm, SBSO deputies responded to an unincorporated area of Lompoc after receiving reports of a reckless driver who had collided with parked vehicles and a fence and fled the scene. Deputies VanTassel and Jimenez encountered the suspect, later identified as Rudy Delgadillo, near 699 Mercury Avenue.
Deputy VanTassel was the first to encounter Delgadillo. Van Tassel saw Delgadillo running towards a neighborhood clubhouse at 699 Mercury Avenue. Deputy VanTassel parked his patrol car at the entrance to the clubhouse. When Deputy VanTassel got out of his patrol car, Delgadillo was approximately 91 feet away. Deputy VanTassel gave Delgadillo verbal commands to raise his hands and get on his knees. Deputy Jimenez arrived within a matter of seconds. Delgadillo ignored the commands, lifted his jacket and reached into his waistband. Fearing Delgadillo had a firearm concealed in his waistband and that he was going to shoot at them, Deputies VanTassel and Jimenez shot at Delgadillo.
Delgadillo was hit once in the shoulder and was released from the hospital within two days. A test of Delgadillo’s blood shortly after the shooting was positive for amphetamines.
The full detailed analysis is posted on the Office of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney website at https://da.countyofsb.org/documents/RudyDelgadilloOISReport.pdf
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I agree, I find it a bit baffling that people want to be police officers. (also a bit of a red flag)
You should probably take a firearm safety class and get some supervised range time. 91 feet is far for a pistol even when in a calm and controlled environment at the range and shooting at a stationary target. Take that outdoors to a high stress situation where the officers life is on the line, has to make a split second decision while both the officer and suspect are moving and it becomes a very difficult shot.
Hi VOR, I have had the training you suggest (several times) and I would be lucky to hit an elephant at 90 feet in stressful conditions. I suggest we should hold LEOs to a higher standard and my concern is the impact point of the 10 rounds that missed the perp. Perhaps more range time would better serve the officers than me?
That’s why I said a bit of a red flag 🙂
huh? i have several close friends employed by SBPD. They are the ones that risk their life to save your butt, day and night. Just like ANY job, ANYWHERE, there are a-holes. No different with the police. Don’t do stupid things, and you won’t have to speak with them. Pretty simple. Our police force is the best we have had since i moved here in 1982 from Ventura. Growing up under Cam Sanchez’s brutal PD was no good, this force we have now is refined, trained, educated and excellent. I’m not referring to our shoot to kill all the time sheriff department. Just our City PD. To me, you are a red flag for making such a statement.