Man dead after officer-involved shooting in Ceres (with video)

Authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting that left a man dead at a small apartment complex in Ceres on Tuesday night.

The two Ceres police officers involved were not injured in the incident, which took place at 9:48 p.m. at the apartment complex at 2601 Don Pedro Road in Ceres.

The officers were on foot patrol in the single-story complex because of prior illegal drug activity there, according to a news release. There is only one entrance into the complex, which has two single rows of apartments facing each other and separated by a parking lot. There is a fence at the back of the complex.

Officers arrived and encountered a man, identified as 28-year-old Albert Thompson, who was inside the complex. Thompson, a transient, ran from the officers and the officers gave chase.

Witnesses said the officers were closer to the entrance of the complex and Thompson was near the fence when the shooting occurred.

The preliminary investigation revealed that when Thompson was running away, he was retrieving an item from his waist area, according to police. The two officers fired their guns, striking Thompson. Officers on the scene rendered medical aid to the man but he was pronounced dead.

Sgt. Jason Coley said an “item” was found at the scene. Information on what the item specifically is will likely be released Thursday, Coley said, along with the names of the officers involved and other details about the shooting.

Tammie Maddox said she was inside her apartment when the man was shot outside her window.

“I happened to be watching an episode of ‘Cops,’ believe it or not, when bullets started flying and thought it was part of the episode,” she said.

But then she saw bullets ricocheting in a puddle in the parking lot.

She grabbed her dog and ran into the bathroom but kept the door open slightly and peered out.

Maddox said she heard about four shots fired, a slight pause, then four more shots before hearing the man drop to the ground. She heard an officer yell “stop” before the shooting started.

Thomas died behind Maddox’s Jeep parked in front of her apartment. A bullet shattered her back window and another struck the Jeep inches from its gas tank, Maddox said.

The Jeep was gone Wednesday afternoon – Maddox’s husband drove it to work – but at the end of the parking stall remained the letters H and F spray-painted on the asphalt, which witnesses said indicate where Thompson’s head and feet came to rest the night before.

There were several bullet holes in the back fence and a bullet sat atop a railroad tie in front of the fence. Coley said he didn’t know if the bullet was related to the shooting.

Police and investigators from the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the incident.

The two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard for any officer-involved shooting.

This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 11:22 AM with the headline "Man dead after officer-involved shooting in Ceres (with video)."