Man killed by Lompoc police had suicide note in pocket, shooting ruled justified

LOMPOC, Calif. – Lompoc police officers who shot and killed a man in March were justified in their use of deadly force according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

Krys Brandon Ruiz, 26, of Lompoc was shot and killed by police on the evening of Sunday, March 28.

A report issued by the District Attorney's Office said Ruiz was suicidal and did not respond to officers who had tried to de-escalate the situation.

In May, the Lompoc Police Department released videos and audio recordings of the moments leading up to the deadly shooting.

Police responded to an alley in the area of North H and G streets after a person called 911. Audio of the 911 call includes a caller describing a man wearing dark clothing who was holding a gun.

The videos showed officers arriving on scene and pointing their weapons at Ruiz who was shot about one minute after police arrived.

In the videos, which were posted on the department's YouTube page but have since been taken down, Ruiz is seen running directly at the officers before police began firing. Ruiz was shot three times including a fatal shot to the head.

The officers involved were identified by the police department as Corporal Andrew White and Officer Mauricio Calderon. White is a 14-year veteran with the department and Calderon has 25 years of service in law enforcement, including 12 years with LPD. Both officers were placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, which is standard procedure in instances of officer-involved shootings.

In the final public report released by the Santa Barbara County DA's office, stunning information was released about the moments leading up to the fatal shooting.

The report sheds more light on Ruiz's mental state prior to the deadly shooting. Ruiz was wearing a clown mask and holding a large kitchen knife when police arrived on scene, the report states. He did not respond to verbal commands from officers and hid behind bushes before charging at one of the officers.

After Ruiz was fatally shot, officers found a message written on his arm. The message read: “Reach in my pocket.” In Ruiz’s pocket there was a suicide note. The note identified Ruiz and his next of kin, as well as laid out some of his last wishes.

Another piece of information that was released as part of the final report, was the identity of the 911 caller. Investigators were able to determine that the person who called 911 was Ruiz himself.

Lompoc police said they had contacted Ruiz on multiple occasions over the last several years for mental health crises and previous suicide attempts.

An autopsy performed by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office confirmed Ruiz was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. A toxicology report showed "nothing of toxicological significance in his system."

The DA's office ruled that the shooting of Ruiz was justified and said officers had "reasonable fear of death or great bodily injury" when they began to fire at him. The DA's office cited the fact that Ruiz did not listen to verbal commands from officers, hid behind bushes and charged at the officers with the knife raised.

The District Attorney's Office said officers attempted to de-escalate the situation before the shooting began and rendered aid immediately after Ruiz was shot.

To read the final report from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, click here.