Oxnard Police release Critical Incident Community Briefing after officer-involved shooting Thursday

OXNARD, Calif. – On Thursday, the Oxnard Police Department released a Critical Incident Community Briefing of an officer-involved shooting of 27-year-old Isaiah Nichols of Oxnard on May 26, 2024.

A video of the community briefing can be found on the Oxnard Police Department's YouTube channel as well as the law enforcement agency's Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram accounts.

On May 26, around 11:26 p.m., officers were called to the area of Ventura Road and Doris Avenue for a man walking in traffic after receiving multiple calls stated Oxnard Police Department.

According to the Oxnard Police Department, one of the responding officers recognized the man as 27-year-old Isaiah Nichols of Oxnard who was confirmed to have an outstanding felony arrest warrant for attempted murder.

That warrant was issued following an unrelated stabbing incident on May 17, 2024, during which Nichols allegedly stabbed a woman in the head multiple times before fleeing the scene shared the Oxnard Police Department.

That stabbing was on a public street in Oxnard and captured on security camera video stated the Oxnard Police Department.

Officers responding to the scene on May 26 discovered Nichols holding kitchen shears in his hand and repeatedly asked him to place the shears on the ground detailed the Oxnard Police Department.

As the response progressed, officers and Nichols moved to the 500 block of North N Street and then to the intersection of North Ventura Road and Doris Avenue where a less-lethal 'bean bag' shotgun and tasers were unsuccessfully used to subdue Nichols explained the Oxnard Police Department.

Below is an image provided by the Oxnard Police Department showing a small fabric bag used in 'bean bag' shotguns which were deployed as part of this law enforcement response.

According to the Oxnard Police Department, while at the intersection of Ventura and Doris, Nichols turned to and advanced towards officers while still holding the shears.

Simultaneously, Officers Jesus Garcia and Alan Espino fired their service weapons hitting Nichols, Officer Jon Castillo fired one 'bean bag' round from his less-lethal shotgun, and Officers Favian Flores and Mason Galindo discharged their tasers detailed the Oxnard Police Department.

A still image from the Critical Incident Community Briefing video is shown below capturing the moment multiple officers discharged their various weapons.

Nichols fell to the ground wounded, but still holding the shears when he attempted to get back up stated the Oxnard Police Department.

Sergeant Enrique Alvarez discharged his taser which was ineffective and then Officer Mason Galindo discharged his taser which was effective and caused Nichols to drop the shears and return to the ground explained the Oxnard Police Department.

According to the Oxnard Police Department, when it was safe for officers to approach Nichols, medical personnel staged nearby began life-saving treatment at the scene.

At the time of the briefing on Thursday, Jun. 13, Nichols is being treated for his injuries at a medical facility in Ventura County and upon his release, will be booked on multiple charges including his previous attempted murder detailed the Oxnard Police Department.

All of the involved officers are assigned to the Oxnard Police Department's Patrol Division and had completed Crisis Intervention Team training before the shooting shared the Oxnard Police Department.

According to the Oxnard Police Department, none of the officers had been involved in a previous officer-involved shooting and, at the time of the briefing in June, all officers have been cleared to return to service.

The involved officers and their law enforcement tenures are detailed below:

• Sergeant Enrique Alvarez, employed by the Oxnard Police Department since June 1997
• Officer Jesus Garcia, employed by the Oxnard Police Department since October 2020
• Officer Alan Espino, employed by the Oxnard Police Department since September 2022
• Officer Favian Flores, employed by the Oxnard Police Department since December 2022
• Officer Jon Castillo, employed as an Oxnard police officer since August 2022 and served four years previously as a deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
• Officer Mason Galindo, employed as an Oxnard police officer since April 2019 and served almost two years previously as a deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

“As part of our commitment to transparency with our community, we believe it is important to share this video with the community we serve," said Oxnard Police Chief Jason Benites. "Now that all of the involved personnel have been interviewed, we hope that sharing this video with the public will set straight any misinformation surrounding this incident."

The investigation into this incident is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Adam Aguilar at 805-385-7680 or via email at adam.aguilar@oxnardpd.org.