NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Sonoma County Coroner’s Office said a San Rafael man shot by police officers in Petaluma on Tuesday has died.
Luis Alberto Garcia-Vara, 24, died shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday from his injuries, the agency said.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the shooting, said Petaluma Police responded to a 911 call in the 100 block of Lakeville Circle at around noon on Tuesday after a caller reported that Garcia-Vara was making suicidal threats and possibly had a gun.
Garcia-Vara was found standing in front of the apartment. The agency said officers tried to use deescalation with Garcia-Vara, who pulled a handgun from his pants pocket and pointed it at his head.
When Garcia-Vara pointed the gun toward officers shortly before 2 p.m., five of the officers fired a total of 16 rounds at him. At least one round hit him in the stomach.
Officials said Garcia-Vara was taken to a hospital for treatment but later died.
Detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office continue to lead the investigation into this incident with assistance of the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety and the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office in accordance with the County-Wide Fatal Incident Protocol. The coroner’s office said evidence collection and its processing as well as interviews are still being conducted.
An independent forensic pathologist will perform an autopsy to determine Garcia-Vara’s cause of death, the coroner’s office said.
REGIONAL: Sonoma County Coroner reports death in Tuesday Petaluma Police shooting
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