FRESNO – The man shot and killed by a Fresno police officer on Sunday evening has been identified as 18-year-old Joseph Ma by the Fresno Coroner’s Office.
The incident happened near Lorena and Bardell avenues on Sunday around 5:30 p.m. Two officers with the Fresno Police Department’s Violent Crime Impact Team pulled over a red BMW for making an illegal U-turn and for having no license plate. The two passengers inside, one of whom was armed, jumped out and ran from the car.
The officers saw that the man was carrying “what appeared to be a silver semi-automatic handgun,” Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said. One of the officers chased the armed suspect, now identified as Ma, through Bigby Villa Apartments and then fired at the suspect.
The pursuit began at this corner, and Ma’s life ended in the apartment complex seen behind
“We do not have details in terms of what prompted the officer to fire the weapon or what led up to the shooting,” Dyer said. Ma died from his wounds.
Police recovered the suspect’s gun at the scene. They say it was loaded, but have not yet determined whether it had been fired. Officers also found drugs on Ma, and drugs and cash on the road near the passenger side of the car. Police believe these items fell out when Ma ran away from the car.
Police also arrested the driver of the car, 20-year-old Jose Cardenas, on various drug charges. The third suspect – the other passenger that ran away – has not yet been located.
The officer who killed Ma has not been identified, but Dyer said he is a veteran cop assigned to patrol south Fresno.
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