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NARRATIVE:
On 01/01/2021, 21-year-old Julianna Valle of Farmington was killed while riding as a passenger in a 2020 Toyota Highlander that crashed on Harrisburg Road in Craighead County near Jonesboro.

At approximately 8:15 p.m., the Highlander left the roadway, traveled up a ditch embankment, struck a utility pole and a brick fence, became airborne, and struck an apartment complex before coming to rest in the yard.

Valle was killed in the crash. The 28-year-old driver, another 24-year-old passenger, and two children were injured.

Available reporting identifies Arkansas State Police as the agency reporting the fatal crash but does not establish that police were pursuing the vehicle before it crashed.

https://asp-fatal.ark.org/summaries/2021
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/a-closer-look/a-closer-look-arkansas-deadly-crashes-in-2021/

On January 1, 2021, at approximately 2:30 p.m., American Canyon Police attempted to stop a motorcyclist near the city limits for reckless riding. The motorcyclist, identified as Antonio Hines, 30, of Vallejo, drove on. Police escalated a chase through Vallejo. During the chase, he rode on sidewalks, bike paths, and park walking paths. Police allegedly called off the chase at the intersection of Mini Drive and Tuolumne Street; however, a CHP air unit continued to follow the rider until Hines lost control and crashed near Hanns Park. American Canyon officers arrived shortly after the crash and attempted to render aid, but he was unresponsive. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. The Vallejo Police Department is handling the collision investigation, as the incident occurred within their jurisdiction.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/dirt-bike-rider-dies-vallejo-pursuit-police-chp/
https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Motorcyclist-crashes-and-dies-after-wild-chase-15841600.php

On January 1, 2021, a Marshall County deputy attempted to stop a pickup truck driven by 63-year-old Jeffrey L. Marvin near U.S. 30 and Pioneer Road in Plymouth. Police said Marvin refused to stop, and officers escalated a chase that continued through Plymouth into Starke County. During the pursuit, Marvin reportedly rammed three patrol vehicles before driving directly toward officers. Police opened fire, striking him. Marvin was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Indiana State Police led the investigation and confirmed that Marvin was unarmed at the time of the shooting. No officers were injured, and none were publicly identified. Officials did not announce any charges or discipline following the investigation.
Family members later questioned whether the shooting was necessary, noting that Marvin had a history of medical issues and confusion in the days before the incident. The case drew local attention as the first fatal police shooting of 2021 in northern Indiana.

https://wsbt.com/news/local/indiana-state-police-investigating-deadly-officer-involved-shooting-in-starke-county
https://www.wndu.com/2021/01/04/isp-investigating-deadly-officer-involved-shooting-in-starke-county/
https://www.abc57.com/news/one-dead-in-officer-involved-shooting-in-starke-county

Around midnight, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office responded to a home following a 911 call reporting a man threatening to shoot a woman and their 1-year-old son. The victim escaped to a neighbor's house, but the child remained inside the home with Amir Keita Stevens, 29, when deputies arrived. As deputies approached, Stevens fled the home, got into his car, and drove away. The child was unharmed. During the pursuit, Stevens lost control of his vehicle, ran off the road, and collided with an MCAT bus stop, a power pole, and two trees, resulting in his death.

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2021/01/02/one-dead-crash-after-speeding-off-manatee-county-deputies-friday-night/

Isaac Matheney, a suspect in a New Year's Day holdup of a Silver Lake gas station and convenience store, was shot and killed by officers after his car was stopped. Matheney reportedly failed to comply with their orders, leading to the use of deadly force. It is unclear if Matheney was armed at the time of the incident.
The incident is under investigation by the Oregon State Police, with findings to be reviewed by the Lake County District Attorney's Office.

https://www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/deadly-force-investigation-in-lake-county/

On 01/01/2021, Newark Police officers responded to reports of shots fired near South 11th Street and Woodland Avenue. During the incident, officers shot and killed Carl Dorsey III. Specific details about what led to the shooting have not been disclosed by the police. The incident is under investigation.

https://www.nj.com/news/2021/01/newark-police-shoot-and-kill-man-while-responding-to-shots-fired-report.html

On 12/20/2022, Bakersfield police responded to a report that a man was threatening to shoot a railroad employee near a homeless encampment. Police encountered Juan Carlos Chabel-Orellano, who police alleged pointed a handgun toward an officer and ran; officers fired at him as he fled but did not strike him.

Chabel-Orellano entered a tent encampment, where police said he raised and lowered a tent flap while ignoring commands, prompting officers to fire again. He fled the encampment, and officers fired additional rounds because they believed he remained armed; those shots also missed him.

Police pursued Chabel-Orellano on foot and in vehicles while other officers positioned themselves ahead of him. Police said he approached officers holding a metallic object and did not comply with commands; officers opened fire and Chabel-Orellano fell to the ground.

As Chabel-Orellano sat up with his hands not visible, officers fired additional rounds, killing him. Police subsequently determined the metallic object in his hand was a knife; the handgun he allegedly pointed earlier was recovered where he had discarded it near the encampment.

The eight officers who fired were Andrew Ferguson, James King, Chad Rogers, Cortez Summit, Anthony Flores, Nicholas Ashby, Dominic Ramirez and Scott Lazenby.

The California Department of Justice completed its AB 1506 investigation in August 2026 and determined there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers acted without an intent to defend themselves or others from what they reasonably perceived as an imminent threat; DOJ declined criminal charges against all eight officers.

DOJ issued 10 recommendations arising from the shooting, including additional training on firearms safety and awareness of surroundings, identifying targets before firing, deadly force against fleeing people, warnings before deadly force, body-camera activation, de-escalation and communication with people who may not understand English; DOJ also recommended prohibiting officers from discussing shootings with one another before giving formal statements.

OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Andrew Ferguson, James King, Chad Rogers, Cortez Summit, Anthony Flores, Nicholas Ashby, Dominic Ramirez and Scott Lazenby were identified by the California DOJ as the eight Bakersfield police officers involved in the fatal shooting.

https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/california-department-justice-releases-report-officer-involved-shooting-juan
https://oag.ca.gov/ois-incidents/current-cases