The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has released footage of a fatal deputy shooting that occurred in Moreno Valley in July.
According to Sheriff Chad Bianco, the shooting occurred in the parking lot of an O’Reilly Auto Parts store in the 15100 block of Perris Boulevard in Moreno Valley.
Authorities responded to a call from an O’Reilly employee at 11:07 a.m. on July 22. The report was of a man that had entered the store claiming to have a gun and wanting to kill someone. The employee told the dispatcher that the man’s exact words were “I’m going to smoke someone if you wanna call the cops.”
Upon arriving to the location, deputies located the suspect in the parking lot.
Bianco said the suspect was identified as Moreno Valley resident Jay Jackson, 49.
When deputies arrived, Jackson had a hand in the pocket of his shorts and told them he had a gun, Bianco said.
The Sheriff’s Department shared footage from two body-worn cameras and footage from a private citizen’s cell phone.
Officers can be heard in the videos telling the man “We do not want to hurt you. We can give you medical services, mental health services. Just do us a favor and take your hands out of your pocket.”
After multiple attempts from law enforcement to get Jackson to comply and him refusing, he is seen taking something out of his pocket — described by deputies as a shiny metallic object — and advancing toward deputies. Shortly after, officers are heard saying “Shots fired. Shots fired.”
Jackson was shot in the upper torso, and deputies tried life-saving measures on him before he was transported to a hospital and later died from his injuries, Bianco said.
The shiny metallic object was later identified as a Gillette razor, Bianco said.
The California Department of Justice will lead the investigation into the incident, examining the initial response of deputies, Jackson’s actions, as well as the deputy-involved shooting. The Sheriff’s Department will also internally evaluate the incident, Bianco said.
