EspañolFontana Police Department Involved In Fatal Shooting of Marcus Camacho At Home Depot By Santa Ana Avenue and Sierra Avenue
FONTANA, CALIFORNIA (February 27, 2024) – A male suspect identified as Marcus Camacho has tragically died in a Fontana police shooting at a Home Depot by Santa Ana Avenue and Sierra Avenue.
Orange County officials are saying that the incident took place around 6:20 p.m. on Monday. The Fontana Police Department received reports about a man allegedly running in the roadway in an attempt to get hit by cars.
By the time officers arrived at the scene, Marcus Camacho had run inside a nearby Home Depot. Authorities claim that the suspect armed himself with some type of “edged weapon” before officers opened fire.
Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the man who was shot. But those efforts were not successful, and Marcus Camacho was later pronounced dead.
Liability For Fontana Police Shootings
Far too many people are seriously injured or killed each year in police shootings. A disproportionate number of the victims were suffering from an untreated mental illness when they were killed. According to USA Today, “At a time of heightened concern over police shootings, a new report estimates that people with mental illness are 16 times more likely than others to be killed by police.” Part of the problem is that the police often receive little to no training for dealing with suspects who may be mentally ill. If police believe that a suspect may be in the midst of a mental health crisis, there are a number of steps that they should take.
- Request backup
- Calm the situation
- Avoid physical contact
- Determine if the suspect is taking medication
- Acknowledge the suspect’s feelings
- Not make any threats
Police officers must always use the least amount of force necessary to get suspects to comply with their demands. According to 42 U.S. Code § 1983, every person who, under the color of law, deprives someone of their rights afforded under the Constitution shall be liable to the injured party in an action at law. If police officers failed to follow protocols for dealing with a mentally ill suspect, this could form the basis of a civil claim.
Consider, for example, Tabares v. City of Huntington Beach (9th Cir., Feb. 17, 2021, No. 19-56035) 2021 WL 609854. A Huntington Beach police officer followed Dillan Tabares and engaged with him even though he showed signs of suffering from a mental illness. The officer later shot the suspect seven times, which resulted in his death. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a jury could find that the officer failed to follow police protocols for dealing with potentially mentally ill individuals. It is crucial that certain steps be taken after any police shooting.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- Body camera footage from all officers involved should be reviewed.
- The actions of officers leading up to a shooting should be understood.
- An experienced civil rights attorney should be contacted.
Under California law, an officer’s pre-shooting decisions can render their use-of-force unreasonable under the totality of the circumstances, even if the officer’s actions appeared reasonable when viewed in isolation. Sadly, though, it is common for police departments to do everything that they can to deny responsibility if one of their officers kills a suspect. When the police investigate themselves, they inevitably find that they did nothing wrong. This is why it is so important to seek the guidance of an experienced civil rights attorney after any police shooting.
Investigating Fontana Police Shootings
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP extend our deepest condolences to the family of Marcus Camacho who died in this Fontana police shooting at Home Depot. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. This man clearly needed help, but instead he was met with lethal force. It is our sincere hope that measures are taken to prevent other tragedies like this.
Do you need more information about an Orange County police shooting? Our team of civil rights attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that victims of police brutality are aware of their rights and that police departments are held accountable for their unconstitutional actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into a shooting, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
