Santa Barbara County DA’s Office: Lompoc police justified in deadly officer-involved shooting

LOMPOC, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office on Friday announced that the Lompoc Police officers who were involved in a fatal shooting of a Lompoc man in October 2021 were justifiable in their response.

Travis Daniel Carlon, 32, was shot and killed by Lompoc Police officers on Oct. 9, 2021 after he barricaded himself inside a home on the 700 block of West Cypress Avenue for several hours.

Carlon had held a gun to a woman's head and threatened them earlier that day, according to the DA's Office. Officers Calderon, Mendoza, and Molina responded, along with SWAT and the police armored rescue vehicle, and set up across the street from the home.

After at least 30 minutes of giving him commands to come outside and throw his gun outside the house, Carlon opened the door and pointed a revolver gun at the armored rescue vehicle and then at the officers directly, the DA's Office said.

Calderon, Mendoza, and Molina fired their weapons in response, hitting Carlon 15 times. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

The DA's Office said that a suicide note was found during a search of the home, where Carlon would write notes to his children.

"When Carlon came out of his residence and pointed his gun at Officers, after being given multiple commands to come out and surrender, he created a reasonable fear of death or great bodily injury in the minds of Officer Calderon, Officer Molina, and Officer Mendoza," the DA's Office said.

"Based on the totality of the circumstances ... the officers both acted reasonably in their use of deadly force; therefore, the shooting of Travis Daniel Carlon is a justifiable homicide."