(KMJ) – A robbery suspect who Fresno police said would not surrender or show his hands, was nearly shot to death by officers Wednesday morning in central Fresno.
Lt. Joe Gomez, a spokesman for the police department, was one of the first officers to arrive on a canal bank. There he said the suspect, identified as Roy Salinas, refused to surrender.
Officers nearly opened fire on him before one of them managed to knock the suspect to his knees with four beanbag rounds from a shotgun.
This all began about 10:30 a.m. when officers received reports that a man had severely beaten and robbed a 59-year-old woman at a convenience store near McKinley Avenue and First Street. The suspect then walked to a canal bank near Millbrook Avenue when officers arrived and ordered him to surrender.
As officers moved in to handcuff him, the suspect dove into a canal and swam to the other side. Officers ran to that side and ordered him to climb a ladder to get out. He was then taken into custody. Salinas was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries from the beanbags.
The woman who was robbed was in much worse condition. Officers say she was grabbed by her hair and punched in the face and body repeatedly. She continues to receive treatment for a possible broken nose, broken jaw and pain in an arm.
