A Chico police officer who shot and killed a suspect last month has been cleared to return to duty.
Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said the evidence showed that officer Mark Bass was justified when he shot and killed 34-year-old Eddie Gabriel Sanchez on Nov. 10.
Officers had converged on a Pomona Avenue home earlier that day after police received a tip identifying Sanchez by name as possibly involved in the armed robbery of a Chevron gas station the day before. Police also linked Sanchez to the armed robbery of a convenience store two days earlier.
Ramsey described a difficult scene for officers who suspected and prepared to conduct a high-risk arrest. A long driveway and heavy foliage blocked sight lines, adding complications. After mustering the SWAT team and staking out the home for about four hours, things went awry when Sanchez spotted officers.
Not wanting to tip him off as they awaited approval of warrants, police told Sanchez they were searching the area for a missing child. Shortly thereafter, Ramsey said, Sanchez attempted to leave the area, accompanied by a 19-year-old Siskiyou County woman.
Police identified themselves, demanded the two stop and ordered them to the ground. The woman complied.
After briefly hesitating, Ramsey said Sanchez made a sudden move to the right, then took off running. As officer Bass closed the distance, Ramsey said he “saw then, Mr. Sanchez reach towards his waistband and then pull out that black, small semi-automatic weapon.”
Bass fired three shots. Sanchez was struck twice in the head, and the third round struck a home that was unoccupied at the time.