Domestic Violence Response Involves Officer-Involved Shooting, Standoff with Suspect

Bakersfield, Kern County, CA: An officer-involved shooting incident occurred with a suspect upon the arrival of Bakersfield Police officers responding to a domestic violence call at approximately 8:55 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, on the 7700 block of Cibola Drive in the city of Bakersfield.

According to Sgt. Robert Pair, PIO with Bakersfield PD, officers made contact with a female resident upon arrival who stepped outside to speak with the officers when an adult male fired at officers multiple times with a rifle from inside the residence. Three Bakersfield Police officers returned fire. No one was struck by gunfire during the shooting.

The adult male then proceeded to barricade himself inside the residence. Police negotiators and SWAT team personnel responded to the scene and surrounding residences were evacuated, stated the BPD press release. Communication was then established with the suspect.

Negotiations for a peaceful surrender of the suspect went on into the night and by approximately 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, the suspect – identified as 59-year-old Richard Firo of Bakersfield -surrendered and was taken into custody uninjured, BPD reported.

Firo was arrested for false imprisonment and criminal threats regarding the initial domestic violence incident as well as multiple counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and felon in possession of a firearm.

BPD stated in the press release that the officers involved in the officer-involved shooting have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is being conducted.

The involved officers were equipped with body-worn camera devices and as the investigation proceeds, the footage will be made available to the public, according to BPD.

Correction: Key News Network mistakingly originally published the date of the incident as Jan. 18, which has been corrected to Jan. 17, the date the incident began.

Alexander Rodarte, Video Journalist / KNN