Death by Cop  2022-2024

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David Pelaez-Chavez

Gender : Male

Age : 36

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 07/29/2022

Location : Creek 1 mile from 5600 block of Thomas Rd

City : Healdsburg

County : Sonoma

State : California

Agency : Sonoma County SO

Officer(s) :Michael Dietrick

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police for unclear reasons

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

Sonoma County deputies chased David Pelaez-Chavez and claim that he held a hammer and a garden tiller and he made “throwing motions” and they shot and killed him. Ten officers had chased him and opened fire. He was accused of breaking into a home, stealing a car, then fleeing from cops before the firing squad caught up with him.

This was the second fatal shooting for officer Michael Dietrick who had previously shot and killed Joseph Louis Melvin in 2016.

SOURCE LINKS :

pressdemocrat.com/article/news/family-of-man-killed-by-sonoma-county-sheriffs-deputy-pushes-for-independe/

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/members-of-sonoma-county-law-enforcement-watchdog-panal-push-for-state-prob/

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/supplemental-bodycam-videos-add-further-detail-to-mans-fatal-shooting/

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/deputies-bodycam-videos-capture-drama-of-july-29-fatal-shooting-in-knight/

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/family-of-man-fatally-shot-by-sonoma-county-deputy-press-for-answers/

The Joseph Louis Melvin case:
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/clearlake-man-shot-dead-by-police-officer-idd/