Officials release name of Stanislaus deputy who critically wounded fleeing teen driver
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department has released the name of the deputy who shot and critically wounded a 17-year-old driver who had fled from a traffic stop, leading authorities on a 7-mile pursuit that ended with the shooting.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Luke Schwartz on Friday identified the deputy as Gerardo Zazueta, and said Zazueta has been with the department since May 2017 and is a field training officer. Schwartz said no other deputies fired their weapons. Modesto police officers also took part in the pursuit but not in the shooting.
Schwartz said Zazueta is on administrative duty, which is the protocol in these incidents. Schwartz said the 17-year-old remains in the hospital in critical condition.
But Schwartz released few other details in the pursuit and shooting and asked the public to remain patient. He said the investigation is a top priority and investigators continue to gather facts, interview witnesses and sort out what happened. While he could not give a timeline, he said more information will be forthcoming.
The 17-year-old driver had four teenage passengers in the car, according to a news release. The Sheriff’s Department initially reported that one of the passengers had been wounded but that was an erroneous report. Schwartz said Friday that only the driver was shot.
A news release states that at one point as the chase went through downtown Modesto, the driver used the car as a weapon by driving it toward the law enforcement vehicles. Schwartz said he could not say Friday whether the teens were armed.
“We want to make sure all those facts and circumstances are fully understood before we present them to the public,” Schwartz said about the need for investigators to be thorough before releasing additional information. He added that will include body camera footage.
A state law that took effect July 1, 2019, requires the release of body camera footage within 45 days of critical incidents, including shootings, unless doing so would hamper the investigation.
The incident happened early Tuesday when patrol deputies attempted to make a traffic stop just before 2 a.m. of a four-door compact car near the intersection of Torrid Avenue and North Carpenter Road in Modesto, according to the news release.
Shooting took place near Modesto Airport
The release said the 17-year-old driver refused to comply and drove off. The news release states deputies did not know at the time that everyone in the car was a teenager. The pursuit exceeded 7 miles through Modesto and county streets and ended at McClure and Finch Roads, in an industrial area near the Modesto Airport.
Authorities used what is a called a PIT maneuver to stop the car.
In these maneuvers, a pursuing law enforcement officer uses a vehicle to tactically push a car, forcing it sideways to a stop. Tuesday’s shooting occurred shortly after. The 17-year-old was shot while in the car, according to the news release.
When asked whether this was a high-speed chase, Schwartz said the “speeds fluctuated greatly” but declined to say more. When asked why deputies would pursue someone over a traffic stop, Schwartz said in general deputies evaluate the circumstances on a case-by-case basis and the pursuits are monitored by supervisors.
Schwartz added that in this case the pursuit took place early in the morning and not during heavier daytime traffic.
People with information about the incident are urged to call Detective Gonzalez at 209-567-4485. Tips can be made anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-866-602-7463 or by downloading the P3 Tip application for your mobile device. Callers could be eligible for a reward in some circumstances.
This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 4:08 PM.
