Armored vehicle runs over detective’s suspected killer as standoff comes to bizarre end
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- Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said deputies were serving an eviction notice when they were fired upon, prompting them to radio a call for help. The detective killed was responding to their call.
- The alleged gunman, identified as David Morales, was killed following an eight-hour standoff.
A Tulare County sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot Thursday while assisting officers serving an eviction notice in Porterville, Calif. The incident turned into an hours-long standoff with the suspected gunman that ended when he was run over and killed by a police armored vehicle.
The bizarre ending to the tragic sequence of events occurred around 6 p.m. just as Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux was providing an update to reporters at a news conference.
After stepping away for a few minutes, Boudreaux returned to say the situation had been resolved.
“The suspect is now dead,” he said. “He was not shot. One of our [armored vehicles] ran over him and killed him.
“This story is not about him; this story is about our officer. ... We have a ... baby who will never know his or her father,” the sheriff said; the detective is survived by his wife, who is 4 months pregnant.
When asked by a reporter if the officers had intentionally run over the suspect, Boudreaux said they had.
“We intentionally ran him over,” he said. “Don’t shoot at cops. You shoot at cops, we’re going to run you over. He got run over. He got what he deserved.”
Boudreaux said the suspect was wearing camouflage clothing and had been shooting at officers as he moved among three homes. He said officers in the armored vehicle were searching an area where they believed he was hiding when they ran him over. The suspect had initially barricaded himself inside his home.
The announcement came within minutes after Boudreaux had released details on the slain deputy, whom he identified as 35-year-old Randy Hoppert.
Hoppert had been serving as a detective and had been with the department for six years. Hoppert also served as a Navy corpsman from 2010 to 2015.
Boudreaux said Hoppert’s wife and other family had asked for privacy.
A procession was held for the deputy earlier in the afternoon from Sierra View Medical Center to the Tulare County coroner’s office.
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered flags at the state capitol to be flown at half-staff in honor of the fallen deputy.
“Deputy Hoppert gave his life in service to his community. Jennifer and I join his family, friends, and colleagues in mourning his profound loss,” Newsom said in a written statement. “His selflessness, bravery, and commitment to protecting others stand as a lasting example of honor and duty.”
In honoring the deputy, he said Hoppert was recognized with a Letter of Commendation by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office in 2021 for using the training he received with the U.S. Navy to help save a 2-year-old girl’s life.
Boudreaux identified the suspect as David Morales, 59. He said he had no criminal history and had 18 firearms registered to his name. He said most of those weapons were handguns and did not include the high-powered rifle he was using to shoot down a law enforcement drone and to shoot at officers.
The incident began around 10:20 a.m. in the area of Newcomb Street and Grand Avenue after the suspect fired on two officers who were there to serve an eviction notice. Boudreaux said the officers issued a radio call for help, and deputies and police officers from other agencies in the area arrived to assist.
Among them was Hoppert, who was wounded as he exchanged gunfire with the suspect. He said officers pulled him to safety and paramedics took him to a hospital.
“This situation went from a civil order of removal to our officer being shot and killed,” Boudreaux said. “This is senseless.”
A U.S. citizen was shot and killed by a federal immigration officer during a late-night traffic stop nearly a year ago in a Texas beach town. The circumstances had not been disclosed by federal authorities.
Videos shared on social media showed deputies crouched on the ground as they took gunfire from the shooter. Property records show Morales’ home is in the 1700 block of Brian Avenue.
The shooting prompted authorities to clear out four blocks of the neighborhood. The Porterville Unified School District also issued lockdowns for three of its schools, including Westfield Elementary, Sequoia Middle School and Monache High School.
Boudreaux said negotiators were at the scene trying to communicate with the suspect. He said family members were also trying to talk to him.
“We wanted him to come out peacefully, but he pushed back against that,” he said. “He was in camouflage clothing and continued shooting at officers to the point that he shot and killed one of our own. He created this.”
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