Walnut Creek police fatally shoot man; mother says he had mental health issues

By Tim Fang

A man has died after being shot by police during a confrontation in a Walnut Creek neighborhood early Thursday morning.

Walnut Creek Police said the shooting took place near Alvarado and Buena Vista avenues, not far from Buena Vista Elementary School. In a statement posted around 2:40 a.m., police said the scene was secure and there was no ongoing threat to the public. 

CBS News Bay Area reporter Veronica Macias said the Contra Costa County coroner was at the location around 7 a.m. had later taken a body from the scene, indicating that the shooting was fatal. A neighbor told CBS News Bay Area that they heard several gunshots after midnight, followed by sirens.

In an update posted at 10:30 a.m., police said they were called to the area around 12:10 am. after a caller reported a man wearing dark clothing was looking into homes and parked vehicles with a flashlight.

When police arrived, they found a man matching the description holding what appeared to be a firearm. Police later determined the weapon was a pellet gun that “closely resembled” a handgun.

Officers issued multiple commands for the man to drop the weapon. Police said the man did not comply and a shooting occurred.

Following the shooting, officers performed life-saving measures and medical personnel were called to the scene. The man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene by paramedics.

The man has been identified as a 46-year-old Walnut Creek resident. Police did not release his name, citing the ongoing investigation.

Annie, who did not give her last name, said her son Anthony was killed in the shooting. She told CBS News Bay Area that her son had battled a life with schizophrenia and things had turned very dark in the past year.

“I have spent so many years advocating to prevent something like this, and it happens to my own son,” Annie said to reporters Thursday morning. 

According to his mother, Anthony at one point had been piecing things together and was volunteering in the community. This past October he had stopped taking his medicine, complaining the side effects were too much.

“My fear was that if his mental health issues became so awful for him that he could not tolerate it anymore that they had to be aware that he would commit suicide by cops. He’s talked about it in the past, he’s talking about other people that he knew that had done that,” Annie said. “It was almost like the ultimate solution to calming the voices that are in his head that he cannot control.”

Annie said she does not blame police for the shooting but wished there were more options for her son as he was struggling with mental illness.

No officers were injured. Police said the officers who were involved have been placed on administrative leave per department policy.

Along with the police investigation, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is conducting a parallel investigation in accordance with the Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident Protocol.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Walnut Creek police at 925-943-5844 or to submit an anonymous tip at 925-943-5865.