Advertisement 911 tapes surface on Salinas police OIS; body cameras still classified Share Shares Copy Link Copy

An investigation by the Monterey County District Attorney's Office into two Salinas police officers' use of lethal force against a 16-year-old boy is not ready to be made public, prosecutors told KSBW on Tuesday."The bureau of investigations completed their portion of this about a week ago. I am now reviewing their investigation. The review is not yet complete," assistant district attorney Berkeley Brannon said. The boy, Marlon Joel Rodas-Sanchez, was holding a butcher knife, screaming, and was hiding inside a Terrace Street house when officers shot him. One officer shot the boy six times with an AR-15 rifle. A second officer shot the boy twice with a handgun. The officers were identified as Manuel Lopez Jr., a 9-year veteran, and Jared Dominici, a 3-year veteran.The Jan. 18 officer-involved shooting began with a 911 caller telling dispatchers that there was a person with a knife on Terrace Street who looked mentally unstable and was possibly under the influence of drugs.Rodas-Sanchez lived on Terrace Street.The first officer on scene said, "(I) can't tell exactly what he's doing. He's talking to himself in the backyard. He's scraping the knife on the cement."The boy refused to follow police commands to drop his knife as officers tried talking to him in Spanish and English. After police attempted to disarm the teen by spraying him with a fire hose and firing non-lethal rubber bullets, the teen walked inside a house.At that point, officers could have stayed outside the house for a standoff. But Dominici and Lopez followed the teen inside, which placed them in closer proximity to the teen's knife.According to a 911 tape, one officer said, "He's hiding behind a wall. He' still armed with the knife."In past interviews, deputy district attorney Ed Hazel said officers followed the teen into the house because they were concerned that other residents could still be inside and a hostage situation could develop. Officers on the 911 tape can be heard asking if the house had been evacuated. "Confirm this house is evacuated," one officer asks. "That house is evacuated," another officer responds. A total of fourteen officers were deployed for the incident and their body cameras were activated.While none of the body camera footage has yet been released by Police Chief Adele Frese or the District Attorney's Office, a 911 audio tape was uploaded on YouTube by a citizen, Vince Ruvalcaba. The audio tape gives a sliver of the full picture about what happened.-- LISTEN: The 911 tapeKSBW transcribed the 911 tape below:(0:02) DISPATCHER "A suspicious person with a knife. 646 Terrace Street. RP (911 caller) said there is a 5150 (mentally unstable) male outside with a knife. Possibly on H and S. (Drugs)." (0:32) DISPATCHER "Hispanic male wearing a red sweatshirt, black pants, and white shoes. And he's carrying a butcher's knife."(1:05) OFFICER "Yeah he still has it in his hand right now. (I) can't tell exactly what he's doing. He's talking to himself in the backyard. He's scraping the knife on the cement." (1:53) OFFICER "If anybody has a 40 (non-lethal sponge rounds) go ahead and grab it, he's not responding to us." (2:08) OFFICER "If the RP (911 caller) is in that doorway, or anywhere by that window, have them back up and get away from that area." (2:20) OFFICER "He keeps scraping the butcher knife on the ground sharpening it." (3:05) DISPATCHER "The male lives at that residence, the male with the knife. Should be a name of Marlon Joel Rodas-Sanchez." (3:32) "The RP (911 caller) lives there and is inside. Was advised to stay inside." (4:05) OFFICER "We have been trying to talk to him in Spanish and English. He's not responding. He appears to be talking to himself." (5:28 ) OFFICER "Would you contact the fire department and see if they will let us use their high pressure hose." (5:43) OFFICER "646 Terrace is evacuated."(5:45) DISPATCHER "10-4"(6:10 ) OFFICER "We are being advised there is a couple that lives in the (shed in the) rear of the residence at 646 (Terrace)."(7:23) OFFICER "We won't be able to access the back area to evacuate the other people (in the shed) without a shield. We will be in the line of fire."(7:54) OFFICER "Fire (engine) just pulled up." (9:51) OFFICER "He's still not complying. He still has the knife in his right hand, talking to himself and keeps sharpening."(13:30) OFFICER "(No K-9 is available in Monterey County.)" (14:12 ) OFFICER "I'm in place with a 40 (non-lethal sponge round)." (14:15) OFFICER "We are letting him know that he is under arrest at this point and he needs to comply." (14:28) OFFICER "All perimeter units standby. We will be deploying water here in a minute and we may need a 40 deployment also."--- Fire hose and non-lethal rounds deployed -- (15:11) OFFICER "He's walking back toward the house. He still has the knife and he's screaming." (15:30 ) OFFICER "He's back in the house." (15:35) OFFICER "Confirm this house is evacuated." (15:41) OFFICER "That house is evacuated." (16:18) OFFICERS INSIDE HOUSE "Police!"(16:20) OFFICER "He's still in the kitchen area. Still holding the knife." (16:30) OFFICER "Multiple Tazer deployments." (16:32) MARLON JOEL RODAS-SANCHEZ "(Screaming)" (16:38) OFFICER "(Tazer) ineffective." (16:46) MARLON JOEL RODAS-SANCHEZ "(Screaming)"(16:50) OFFICER "He's hiding behind a wall. He' still armed with the knife."(17:11) OFFICER "We have a partial view of him. He's directly behind the front door. So just be aware."(17:40) OFFICER "He's sharpening the knife and still not obeying commands." (17:48) (GUNSHOTS) "(Gunshots from AR-15 rifle and handgun) (17:53) OFFICER "Shots fired." (18:01) OFFICER "Perimeter units are Code 4. The rounds came through the wall and struck the cars. But we're Code 4 (officers are uninjured and OK)." (18:10) OFFICER "The scene is secured. Send in medical (paramedics)." (18:25) OFFICER "Subject (Rodas-Sanchez) is down."